


For Love of Spies

by Aiden_Ravelle, AnkhsAngel



Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types
Genre: Sex, Suicide Attempts, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:28:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 79
Words: 303,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21880204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiden_Ravelle/pseuds/Aiden_Ravelle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnkhsAngel/pseuds/AnkhsAngel
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

Welcome to the newest fic by AnkhsAngel/Amy L and I. This is the fourth story featuring our OC’s Kiba and Andy, and the second or third for most of these other characters we’ve created. If you enjoy this, check out Healing Star, our Kyuranger fanfic, and under the Kamen Rider tag, Rider Knights of the Throne and Monster Squad. All four are being worked on, however Rider Knights is *technically* finished.

Hope you enjoy and thanks so much for reading!

-Aiden Ravelle

“I need a doctor!” A tall man with his arm around another man yelled as soon as he got into the clinic. 

“Let’s get him checked in,” a nurse answered without looking up.

Andy rolled her eyes at the other nurse and went out into the lobby, “Let’s get him into a room.” She wrapped her arm around the injured man and helped get him into a room and started looking him over.

He was unconscious, bleeding heavily from his right side. His face was bruised, a gash trickling blood from his hairline. He was dressed in what appeared to be a black jumpsuit, an empty holster around his right thigh.

His companion kept glancing out the door, scowling at her. “How long is this going to take?”

“It’ll take a little bit to clean up these wounds.” Andy answered as she grabbed the supplies she needed.

The man growled deep in his throat, turning to stare out the door’s window. “Damned idiot should have listened to me.”

Andy stayed quiet as she worked, stitching up the larger wounds and then bandaging him up.

He stirred, chocolate brown eyes blinking open slowly. “Where?”

“You’re okay now, don’t worry,” Andy said gently.

“Can he be moved?” His companion asked urgently, his gaze locked on something outside.

“I wouldn’t suggest it, but you seem like you won’t listen either way,” Andy analyzed critically. 

“ _I’m_ trying to keep your work from going to waste, Doc.” The tone was sarcastic with an under current of fear. 

A hellish howl was heard amidst shattering glass and both the injured man and friend cursed explosively.

“Thought I’d lost them.” The injured man rose quickly as his companion snarled.

“That’s what you get for thinking, Tet.” The man quickly pulled a pistol, double checking the magazine. He looked at Andy. “Please say there’s another way out or we’re going to be hound food.”

Andy raised an eyebrow but nodded, “It’s in the back. I’ll show you the way.”

Her patient shot her an apologetic smile. “Sorry about him.”

“Don’t apologize for me jackass.” The other man scowled as screams were heard. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” He wrapped an arm around the injured man and pointedly looked at her.

She headed to the back door, opening it for them, “Good luck. Try not to get hurt again, okay?”

The man with the gun pointed it at her. “You aren’t going back. You’re coming with us. Unless of course you have a death wish.”

As if to prove him right, a nurse appeared horribly sliced. She stumbled a few steps, then fell as a hulking black dog jumped on her body. It had a red glow to match its eyes, the mouth a gaping hole with giant bloodstained teeth. It looked straight at Andy and snarled, then began to charge forward.

Andy’s eyes widened and she backed up quickly, “Alright, guess I’m going with you.”

The companion pushed Tet into her arms. “Go! I’ll slow it down!”

Tet grabbed his arm. “Are you insane? Kiba, you can’t!”

Kiba looked at Andy. “Get him to the van around the corner. I’ll be there as soon as I take out ugly here.” He started firing his pistol, the creature letting out a howl as the rounds hit. It began to smoke, the skin burning. He continued to advance and fire.

Andy took Tet to the van, helping him get in before climbing in next to him.

He growled, watching the clock click down. After twenty minutes, he reached for the sliding door. “I’ve got to help him.”

“You’re hurt. I’ll go,” she sighed. “Do you have a gun I can use?”

He nodded in resignation, pulling open a drawer and handing her a pistol. “Hounds can only be taken out by destroying their heads and hearts.” His hand lingered on hers for a minute, then he pulled away.

“Alright,” Andy nodded, “I’ll be back soon then.” She headed out and went back around the corner, looking for Kiba.

A wolf was slowly limping toward her, blood dripping to the ground. Its eyes met hers and she was amazed to hear a human sounding chuckle escape seconds before it fell over.

Andy stared at it a minute, getting the feeling it was a good wolf. She knelt beside it, grabbing a few things from her pockets and started sewing its wounds shut.

Suddenly, she was staring at the man Tet had called Kiba. His jumpsuit was almost shredded, gashes clearly showing through the fabric.

She stared in confusion for a moment, wondering if she’d imagined the wolf. She shook her head, continuing to care for his wounds.

A few moments later, he spoke. “Tet okay?” His eyes were dark and pained as he tried to rise. “We need to get out of here.”

“He’s in the van,” Andy informed. She wrapped an arm around him to help steady him.

“Good.” He stumbled a few steps, breathing heavily. “We need a new game plan since we’re now _with_ you instead of just watching.”

She frowned, “Wait, do you mean you were watching _me?”_

Kiba scowled. “Me and my big mouth. You should ask Tet about that, he’s team leader.” The man closed his eyes briefly before continuing toward the van.

Andy followed, feeling really confused about what was happening. Thoughts of her nurses crossed her mind, and she briefly considered going to check on them, but she wanted answers more.

Tet’s face appeared from the open door. “Dammit Kiba. Tsukasa’s going to have our hides.” He helped Andy to get his companion in the van, then handed her an address. “Can you drive here?”

Andy looked at the address before nodding, “I want an explanation first. What the _hell_ is going on here.”

Tet sighed, staring at Kiba. The other man shrugged and closed his eyes. Tet scowled, then looked at Andy. “We are an elite team hired to protect you. We _were_ supposed to stay hidden, but the damned hounds screwed that idea. That good enough for now?”

“Why do I need to be protected?” Andy asked in response.

“Would you believe I don’t have a clue?” He tried to give her a smile.

“We just follow orders, Doc. We don’t ask for all the intel. If we needed to know, we’d be told.” Kiba’s voice was harsh.

Andy sighed, “Fine. But I’d like answers the first chance you have to find out.”

“You could ask our boss, but I doubt you’ll get answers.” Tet gave an apologetic grin.

Andy rolled her eyes, “One last question, what is this place I’m driving you to?”

“Current base.” Tet took a deep breath. “Can we put twenty questions on hold until after I feel more human?”

Kiba snickered and Tet elbowed him. “Shut up, fur ball.”

Andy drove to the address, wishing she was just heading home.

When they arrived and parked, both men slowly climbed out.

Several young men exited the building, looking startled at Andy’s presence. Then they gave Tet a look.

“You okay?” A scowling blond asked him, eyes locked on Andy accusingly.

Tet chuckled. “Lower shields, Zal. She helped us.”

“She wasn’t supposed to know we existed! If we’re lucky, Tsukasa will only sear your fur and not make you a rug.” The blond turned away angrily.

“Why don’t you help Kiba instead of blowing your top?” Tet lightly smacked his head.

An aggravated chuckle escaped the man as he helped Kiba inside the building. “Go screw yourself, Tet.” 

Andy stood near the van, unsure what to do. Part of her wanted answers, but part of her just wanted to walk home and pretend this never happened.

Tet shot her a look as if reading her mind. “You can’t go home. If you thought the hounds were frightening..well, there are worse things hiding in the dark.”

Andy sighed, “Why can’t I go home? Are these things after me?” She looked at him a moment, “And if I can’t go home, where does that leave me? Having to stay here with a bunch of men I _just_ met?”

“I’m sorry. The hounds have your scent now and they won’t stop. But if you still want to go, I won’t stop you.” He moved to her side and extended a card. “You might want to leave town.”

“I’m not leaving town, I have a business and patients to care for. You said I just have to destroy the head and heart, right? Can’t I just take them on if they do come after me?”

“Did you **forget** they attacked your clinic tonight? You think patients will actually show up?” The blond was back, posture tense. “And you think hounds are the only things after you? You’re naive. Hard to believe your parents didn’t educate you. Guess even witches can be idiots.” He tapped Tet’s shoulder. “Let her go. Boss won’t flame us any more if she’s dead and we can get a real job.”

“Witches?” Andy asked confused. “And what about my parents?” 

Both men stared at her in horror, then exchanged looks.

“You don’t know…” Tet’s voice was low as Zal swore in a foreign language.

“What don’t I know?” Andy stared at them, almost begging for answers.

“Your parents were two of the most powerful witches in the hemisphere. They were killed for that exact reason.” Tet’s lips tightened. “You _really_ didn’t know? This isn’t an act?”

“I was told their deaths were an accident..” Andy froze. 

Zal chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, an accident. Being ritually slaughtered is _totally_ the same as falling asleep at the wheel and crashing.”

Andy took a deep breath, trying to take in everything. “So.. is that why things are after me? Because my parents were witches?”

“That and whatever they found out before they died. But let’s have this discussion inside.” Tet took her arm and brought her into the building. 

Andy looked around a moment, still feeling confused at the knowledge she’d just learned.

The room was large, even with all the equipment crowding the walls. Several men gave her looks, then pointedly ignored her.

There was a tinkle of bells and a blast of air. Three men materialized in front of her, eyes widening. 

“You decided to break protocol and ask her out yet?” A young man with round glasses and a beanie eyed her with a laugh.

Tet growled. “Shut up Yamae. Why don’t you go annoy your brother?”

Andy looked the three men over, frowning at the comment. 

The other two men elbowed Yamae in the stomach. One of them glared at Tet. “Saka is going to be furious.”

Tet stared at the floor. “I know. I’ll accept responsibility when I call. Anything on the network?”

The man shook his head. “All quiet. The cops have already told the news it was a meth head attack.”

Tet exhaled in relief. “So he’s still covering for us even though I screwed up?”

“Of course. You think he’d slack off just because you did?” The man strode away.

Andy watched in confusion, staying silent and trying to take everything in.

Tet looked at her apologetically. “Sorry about that. I-” He swayed, holding his side and grimacing.

“You should be resting,” Andy analyzed, remembering his wounds.

He gave her a tired smile. “You’re probably right. Help me?”

She nodded and wrapped an arm around him so he wouldn’t fall over.

Slowly he made his way to a military cot, laying down with a muffled growl. His eyes closed, his breathing pained.

Andy watched him for a moment before looking around, unsure what she should be doing.

Kiba met her eyes, a smile on his lips. Then he was gone, a wolf in his place. It curled up near one of the heaters lying around the room.

Andy watched him for a moment, glad she hadn’t imagined the wolf earlier. She sat down in a chair, looking around the room for a few minutes before she started to doze.

Yamae nudged Zal, inclining his head at her. “This might work out. She didn’t run screaming.”

Zal huffed. “She has no idea her gifts or the troubles that come with them. If it wasn’t for the hounds, I’d bite her and drop her in her own bed.”

Yamae laughed. “Think Tet’s infatuated with her. He might fight you.”

The blond raised an eyebrow. “I’d kick his ass and he knows it. If we can get them off her tail, I want to see him try.”

A beeping began to sound in a pattern. One of the men sat down at a computer, typing quickly.

A white haired man appeared on a monitor. “Where’s Kanamoto?”

Zal sighed. “He’s resting. Got attacked by a hound.”

“Wake his ass up.” The man’s voice was tight as he saw Andy.

Zal nodded, approaching the cot. “Saka’s online.”

Large yellow eyes met his and blinked. Slowly they turned brown and became human. “How pissed is he?”

“Just this side of nuclear. Better have a good explanation.”

Andy woke slightly when she heard speaking, blinking her eyes open a moment, but she curled her legs up against her chest, resting her head on her knees, and fell right back to sleep.

Tet glanced at her quickly, sighing as he finished shifting. Then he stood, facing the monitor. “Sir.”

The white haired man eyed him critically for a second. “Why the _fuck_ is she in your base?”

“Hounds attacked us, then her clinic. I made a tactical decision that she’d be safer with us.”

The face frowned. “You made a tactical decision? Sure you weren’t thinking with something else?”

Tet stiffened. “Are you implying I’ve been compromised?”

“Haven’t you?” The face met his straight on. 

“I am not. We were given the task of protecting her. I was just doing that. Nothing more.”

The face nodded. “Make sure you are. Kadoya out.”

Tet clenched his fists, then reined in his temper and turned to the team. “Make sure there are no more hounds on her tail. Once it’s confirmed, she’s going home.” He met Zal’s eyes. “You know what to do.”

Andy woke slowly, stretching her arms out before opening her eyes. She straightened out in the chair, looking around the room again.

Tet held out a cup. “Coffee?”

Andy nodded, “Sure, thanks.” She took the cup, smelling the fresh coffee before taking a sip.

“Sleep well?” He glanced at her.

She shrugged, “I wasn’t even trying to fall asleep,” she admitted with a small smile.

“Shock will do that. Anyway, I have some good news.” He took a drink from his own cup.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “What is it?”

“Looks like the hounds gave up. You’re going home.”

Andy smiled, “And what about the clinic? I can go back to work too?”

“Everything’s been fixed. Zal will take you home whenever you’re ready.” He met the other’s eyes, nodding almost imperceptibly.

“Thanks for the offer but I don’t mind walking.” She smiled and glanced out a window, “Especially when it’s this nice out. And thank you for helping with the hounds.”

Tet gave her a smile. “No problem. That’s part of our job, after all. But I’d feel safer with him walking you. Please humor me?” He gave her a wide smile, his face beaming.

Andy rolled her eyes, “I guess.”

Zal approached her, extending a hand. His eyes glittered as he glanced at the light out the window.

Andy stood, giving him a small smile before walking toward the door.

He walked beside her quietly, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

Andy glanced at her phone map, making sure she was heading the right direction before pocketing it and looking up at the clouds for a moment.

They were at her door before Zal spoke. “Can I ask a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Look me in the eye for a moment. I want to tell you something.”

Andy sighed and turned to him, “What?”

His eyes mesmerized her, the green gold iris sparkling in the sunlight. “You will forget everything you learned last night. You will wake and go to work. You will remember nothing about us, hounds or your parents. Do you understand?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I can just forget that stuff.”

His eyes bored into hers. “You can and you will.” 

She raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again, “Whatever you say.”

He scowled, then bared his fangs. He pushed her against the door, aiming for her throat.

Andy quickly kicked him away from her, using the time to unlock the door. She quickly closed and locked it again, standing against it for a moment.

Zal slammed a hand into the frame. “You’re in too much danger with your knowledge! You have to forget everything! Don’t fight me please.”

Andy shook her head, knowing he couldn’t see it. She wanted to remember. At least the part about her parents. If they were witches, was she one too? She had to find out, and forgetting about it all was not going to help her figure it out.

Zal snarled, pulling out his cell and dialing. A moment later, he was talking. “Your damn girlfriend _can’t_ be hypnotized. You need to figure something else out.” He listened for a second, then sighed and nodded. “Alright. But you need to explain the facts of life to her fast before she runs into someone who’s not as polite as I am.” He hung up and jumped into the nearby tree.

Andy sighed, heading to the attic. She kept a lot of stuff from her parents but never actually went through it all. Maybe there’d be something there to help her figure things out. She spent the next little while checking through boxes, until her eyes finally landed on a big black book. It looked old and dusty. She opened it slowly, starting to read through it.

Her doorbell rang.

She ignored it at first, until it went off again. She carried the book downstairs, placing it gently on the table by her chair before glancing through the window to see who was there. 

Tet and Yamae stood talking to Zal. Yamae reached for the doorbell again and Tet smacked his hand. Yamae rolled his eyes.

Andy sighed, reaching into the table drawer and pocketing her gun just in case before finally opening the door.

“Hi.” Tet gave her a smile. “I wanted to apologize for Zal. He took my instructions to heart and got overexcited.” 

“Did not. I was trying to carry out your orders and she resisted.” Zal growled as Yamae grinned. 

“Should have eaten before you took her home.” Yamae laughed as Zal glared at him.

Andy sighed, “So what do you want?”

Tet chuckled. “I need to talk to you. Can I come in?”

Andy opened the door further, letting him inside.

He gave silent instruction to the others and they took up positions near the door. Then he closed the door behind him.

“I am really sorry I had him try to mess with your head. I thought it would be the best way to keep you safe if you didn’t remember last night.” He gave her a bow. “Forgive me?”

“I guess,” Andy nodded. 

He smiled, then sat down on the couch. “You now know witches are real. I’m guessing you can figure out what Zal is. There are a few more things you should know if you’re going to stay in the real world as we call it.”

“Alright. So what do I need to know?”

“There is a ruling body over what you probably would call monsters. We aren’t supposed to mingle with humans, even ones who have gifts, so I am taking a risk here. But here’s the truth. All the things you think are science fiction or fantasy are real. And they are all around you. Sometimes they run amok. That’s where we come in. We try to keep the hidden world hidden so the humans don’t come after us.”

He sighed, clasping his hands together. 

“It’s a fragile alliance at the best of times. Lately, there have been attacks and assassinations on humans and monsters alike. Your parents were just the latest. Now they are coming after you. Our team has been trying to keep you safe. But it might be impossible.”

Andy nodded, taking in the information. “Why would they hide all this from me?” 

“Probably so you wouldn’t have to worry about all this. The constant worry of slipping up by having friends that you shouldn’t, or saying something that alerts someone. Safer for everyone.”

He looked at her, then he shifted. His yellow eyes blinked at her as he sent a mental message to her. _“This is my true form. Are you scared?”_

Andy stared at the white tiger sitting on the couch for a moment before shaking her head. 

The tiger chuffed, then shifted back to human. He looked at her in amusement. “I have a feeling you saw someone before me shift..”

“Kiba,” Andy nodded. 

“Show off. He always tries to upstage me.” He leaned back and smiled. “And you’ve met Yamae. He’s a teleporter.” He looked down again. “I have a job offer for you.”

“A job offer?”

“You don’t have to give up on your current job. Think of it as added work. I would like you to be our physician. We don’t have a dedicated medic on the team. Just patch us up if we show at the clinic. Are you okay with that?”

“Alright,” Andy nodded. “I can do that.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, “Is there anything more you can tell me about witches?”

“Other than being scary if you piss them off? Not really. We aren’t encouraged to go outside of our own groups. Our team is a test to see if we can actually get along with each other.” He gave her another smile. “Sorry.”

Andy sighed and nodded, “Okay. Thanks.”


	2. Chapter 2

Andy grabbed her morning coffee, sitting in her chair and glancing at the book next to her. She’d been staying up every night reading it, learning what she could from it about her parents and what it meant to be a witch. She hadn’t tried anything from the book yet, though, a mix of being unsure and being a bit afraid of screwing something up. She sighed, before picking up the morning paper and scanning through it.

‘Vampire Murders Stump Police’ 

The headline screamed, the story obviously using the word vampire as a joke. But reading between the lines caused the warning bells to ring in her head.

Her cell phone rang. 

She picked it up and answered, “Hello?”

“It’s me. Is the clinic open today? Can we come by without anyone noticing?” Tet’s voice was strained.

Andy sighed, “I’ll head over there. No one’s working today, so it won’t be a problem.”

“Thanks.” The phone clicked off.

Andy got up from her chair and went to change. Grabbing her lab coat on the way out, she got in her car and headed down to the clinic.

The van was parked beside the building. There was no sign of anyone.

Andy entered slowly, looking around as she headed back to the patient rooms.

Tet met her in the hall. “Sorry about this. We were ambushed.” He opened the door to reveal Kiba trying to staunch a neck wound on a young man she hadn’t seen before.

Andy got the supplies ready and got to work on cleaning the wound and closing it up. 

Kiba relaxed slightly, his hand going to his shoulder absently. It took a moment for her to realize he was trying to hide an injury.

When she got done on the young man, she glanced at Kiba, “Let me see your shoulder.”

He scowled but at Tet’s look removed his jumpsuit. Clearly a bite mark, the wound was jagged and almost looked gnawed. Blood sluggishly bubbled, the color bright.

Andy cleaned and bandaged it up quickly. “Any other wounds you’re hiding?”

“Not me. Him, on the other hand.” He gave Tet a cheeky smile as the team leader glared at him.

“I’m fine.” Tet didn’t meet her eyes, attempting not to wince as he struggled to stay conscious.

“Tet, you might as well just let me help you while you’re here.”

He sighed, unbuckling his holster and handing it to Kiba. Then he quickly stripped to his t-shirt and boxers, revealing several bite marks. One was on his left thigh, two more on his right arm. Then she saw the gaping wound in his side where something had torn into him. He tried to joke.

“You asked for it Doc.”

Andy sighed, grabbing more supplies. “I’m surprised you’re still standing.” 

He gave her a fleeting smile, then swayed. “One of the good things about being a shifter. We can take a lot of abuse before we go down.”

“Let’s get you on a bed, okay?” She wrapped an arm around him and helped lead him. Once he was laying down she started carefully cleaning the wounds up, stitching the larger ones.

His eyes closed as he passed out. Kiba hovered worriedly over both men, his hand never far from his gun.

Andy finished up before sitting down at her desk. “So what’s his name?” She looked at the man she hadn’t met before.

“That’s Ryusei. He’s a ‘porter. He’s also our tech genius and has a chip on his shoulder against normals.” Kiba watched him carefully.

Andy nodded as she glanced back at the sleeping Tet.

“Seen the headline for today’s paper?” Kiba finally sat down with a sigh.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Leave it to the normals to tell the truth as a joke.” He rubbed his eyes. “Well, partially truthful anyway.”

“So what happened exactly?”

“A gang of suckers decided college girls were fair game this month. We stopped an attack and you see what happened.”

She nodded, “How many attacks have there been?”

“This was number twelve. Our Council is losing their collective mind at the fact. What makes it worse? These aren’t young suckers. These are elders. One told us they were tired of hiding and wanted to make everyone afraid of them like the old days.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Yeah. If it continues, our boss is worried the Council will disband not only us, but the Council itself. It will turn into the old days, where everyone kills everyone with no checks or balances. It’ll be chaos once again.” He scowled at the floor as he gently touched his bandaged shoulder and winced.

Andy sighed, thinking out that possibility before shaking her head.

There was a knock at the back door.

Andy frowned, but went and opened it to see who was there.

Yamae stood there supporting a semi conscious Zal. The vampire was bleeding from several slashes across his chest. “Hey, got a minute?”

Andy nodded, leading them back to another bed. She checked Zal over before stitching and bandaging him up. 

Yamae sighed as Kiba entered. “Shifter attacked him.”

Kiba growled. “What the _fuck_ is going on? Did _everyone_ lose their minds?”

The teleporter shrugged, then winced. “No clue. Boss is stressing out.”

Andy finished bandaging Zal before stepping away, “Should I be expecting more patients?”

“Hope not.” Tet’s voice was pained as he leaned on the door. “Yamae, sit down and let her look at you.”

The porter pulled his glasses down to look at the leader. “Why?”

Tet snorted. “The fact that your pupils are blown plus I can smell blood on you and it isn’t vampire.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Come on, I’ll bandage you up, okay?”

Yamae sighed, removing his beanie to reveal a nasty looking gash on his temple. “It’s not serious.”

“Well, it should be cleaned and bandaged at least, to prevent infections.”

He submitted to her ministrations, blinking owlishly at her.

She quickly cleaned it, then placed a bandage over it. “There, now you’ll be fine.”

He nodded slowly, then stood. He blinked again, swaying. “The wall color is worse doubled.”

“Just sit down and rest,” she pushed him back into the chair.

He chuckled, his eyes closing.

“He still alive?” Tet’s voice was amused as he poked his head in.

Andy chuckled, “Yeah. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been worse. But I’ll be fine after some more sleep. We’ll get out of your hair now.” He began to lift Yamae to his feet.

“Are any of you good enough to drive? You guys can stay and rest longer if you need to.”

He paused, looking at her. “What about your regular patients? We would raise eyebrows.”

“No one’s going to be here for a while,” Andy assured. 

He carefully sat the porter back down just as his phone rang. He answered it, then paled. His knuckles went white as he clutched the phone. “Sir? Can’t you stop them?”

The answer made him lean against the door. Then he straightened. “Understood. I’ll contact you when we find safety.” He hung up, closing his eyes briefly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s war. The Council has disbanded and everyone is at each other’s throats. And I have a kill squad coming for my team.” He dialed his phone, eyes widening when it kept ringing without answer. His eyes met hers in alarm. “I have to warn them.”

He headed for the back door as fast as his injuries allowed, reaching for the knob as she spoke.

“Do you want me to come help? Also, you guys can come to my place if it’s any safer?”

“Can you drive?”

Andy nodded, “Sure. My car or the van?”

“Van. We have to get them out of the base.” 

Andy nodded, heading out the door toward the van. She got the keys and started it up, then headed toward their base. 

Tet sat back, lips moving silently.

When they arrived at the base, Andy looked at Tet, “Do you want me to stay here or come in?”

He looked at her. “Stay with me. They may need help. If not, I will. I’m almost at my limit.” He climbed out slowly and headed toward the door.

Andy followed behind him, helping steady him when he looked like he was starting to sway. 

“Ryon? Jack? Anyone…” Tet’s call trailed off as he saw the bodies lying scattered. “No…” He fell to his knees, tears starting to trickle down his cheeks.

Andy put a comforting hand on his shoulder as she looked at them. “I’ll get them to the van. Once we get them out of here, I’ll take care of them. Don’t worry.”

“I should have been here..” Tet was barely conscious, his words slurred.

Andy sighed, “It’s okay,” she helped get him up into a chair, “Just rest for a few minutes.”

She struggled to lift the men, but one by one got them to the van. She then went back to Tet, holding a hand out to help him stand, “I want to make a stop for something at my house, and then we’ll head to the clinic.”

“How many did I lose?” His eyes were haunted as he slowly rose to his feet.

“None yet,” Andy assured. “Come on, before they get any worse.”

He shakily followed her to the van, closing his eyes as soon as he sat down. “Thank you for this. You didn’t have to help.”

“It’s fine. You’re my friend. That’s what friends do, right?” She gave a small smile as she started up the van and headed to her house. She parked quickly, running in to grab the black book she’d been reading then headed back to the van.

Tet slowly opened his eyes. “You really consider me a friend? You barely know me..”

“Well, I know enough about you to at least consider you a good person, and if you’re a good person, I don’t see why I wouldn’t consider you a friend.”

He chuckled quietly. “You’re an interesting person..” His eyes slid closed as he finally lost consciousness.

Andy got them to the clinic, starting to carry them in and place them on beds. She then flipped through the book, looking for the spells she had read about. She worked on memorizing the words, then stood above the first of the injured men. She muttered the words under her breath, a light flowing into the man as the holes started to close up. She repeated the process, checking them all over afterward to make sure it worked. She cleaned them up, getting the blood off of them before looking over at Tet who was in another bed. She tried the spell on him, hoping to fully heal the wounds she’d already cleaned earlier. She smiled when she removed the bandages on his arm, noticing the wounds were gone. 

The door opened slowly behind her.

She looked back to see who was there. 

Kiba gave her a puzzled look. “What’s going on?”

“Some of your friends were hurt, but they’re going to be okay now.”

He nodded slowly. “Sorry for taking up so much space. As soon as Tet’s up, we’ll disappear.”

Andy shrugged, “The clinic is for the injured. You all were injured so it’s fine. How are you feeling?”

“Sore. But I’ll live, so no need to go all Florence Nightingale on me. Save it for fearless leader.” He grinned cockily at her.

Andy chuckled, “How’s your other friend doing?”

“Still out but he’s okay. Yamae will be back soon.” The soldier glanced at Tet with a frown. “You do know he’s attracted to you right?”

Andy shrugged, “Okay, so?”

“He’s an idiot. Shifters and witches aren’t supposed to mingle. Especially now with all out war happening..” Kiba scowled, then sighed. “But who am I to tell anyone who to like?”

“Maybe it’s because I’m still new to all of this kind of thing, but I don’t see the problem of anyone mingling,” she chuckled, “We’re all people, whether we can do fantastic things or not.”

He started laughing. “The idealism of youth.” 

Andy shrugged again, “It’s better than having prejudices or separating yourself from others over dumb things.”

His eyes glittered. “You should have been on the Council. Maybe there would still be peace.” He noticed Tet’s eyes fluttering. “I’ll go check on Ryusei.”

Tet woke as the door closed. “What’s happening?” He sat up stiffly, eyes narrowing as he noticed the wounds were gone.

“Everything’s okay. Your friends will be fine.”

“We should get out of here before anyone comes looking. You shouldn’t get dragged into this anymore.” He stood, quickly dialing his phone.

“Kanamoto. Code Armageddon. Contact Twelve Delta Charlie 55. Rendezvous at Charlie Point.”

When he was done on the phone, Andy looked at him, “The offer still stands, if you guys do end up needing a safe place, you can come to my house.”

“What would your neighbors say? Plus, I doubt you have enough room for all of us.” He gave her a smile.

“I have a pretty large basement, and in the book I’ve been going through there’s some spells for invisibility. Maybe if I use those, the neighbors won’t notice?” She chuckled. “Anyway, just an option if you need it.”

“ _I_ might take you up on it, but you don’t need eleven other men cluttering up your place.” He laughed at her look. 

Andy laughed for a moment, “That would be.. interesting, to say the least.”

“Especially the porters. They eat like a small army and fight like hyenas.” Tet grinned as his phone rang. “Kanamoto.”

His eyes widened, then he spoke quickly. “Alright. Lock on to my marker and meet up here. We’ll decide what to do when you arrive.” He hung up and gave Andy a wry look. “How invisible can you make us?”

Andy grabbed her book and started looking through it, “It says you won’t _actually_ be invisible, but the spell should make it so no one notices you.”

He took a deep breath. “Alright. I really appreciate this.” He climbed out of the bed and opened the door. “Kadoya! Get Ryusei to the van and wait!” He closed it and turned to her. “Can they be moved?” His eyes roamed over his team.

“Yeah, they should be okay to move,” Andy nodded.

“Can you help me?” He was already lifting a smaller man and heading out the back.

She nodded once more, helping him get the men into the van.

Another one pulled up beside them, a dark haired man leaning out the window. “Hey, fearless leader. We’re here.”

Tet chuckled. “We’ve got a hidey hole. Follow us. Tell the porters to get their asses there before something else happens.”

The man saluted with a grin, then disappeared back inside.

Andy glanced at Tet, “So what’s your plan exactly?”

“Lie low for a few days until this kill order gets rescinded. Then with luck, my boss can get us out of your hair.”

She nodded slowly, “What if it doesn’t get rescinded?”

“We can’t stay here taking advantage of your hospitality forever. If my boss can’t get this fixed, we’ll have to go on the run. Probably split up and find a place to stay until either peace is restored or we get caught.” Tet’s voice was quiet.

Andy sighed, “Hopefully peace will be restored soon.”

“I envy you.” His dark eyes were sad.

“Why?”

“You have hope.” He turned away, climbing into the passenger seat.

Andy climbed into the van, starting it up and heading out of the parking lot.

Tet looked out the window absently, sighing under his breath. He hadn’t told Andy the entire truth when he told her about what was going to happen. Kill orders never got rescinded in his experience. He and his team were dead men walking and he knew it. But she didn’t have to. Not yet at least.

Andy pulled up in front of her house, quickly parking the van.

Tet climbed out, quickly conferring with Kiba.The dark haired man pulled up in the other van and climbed out. Tet motioned him over, his voice low. After a few minutes, the men separated, Kiba and the other man beginning to unpack the second van. 

A third man jumped out, looking suspiciously like the first.

Andy looked at Tet, “What can I do to help?”

“Show me to the basement? We can do everything else.”

She gave a small smile and headed into the house, going down the flight of stairs. It opened up into a large, mostly empty room. There was only a couch and a small table, leaving the room feeling wide and open.

Tet grinned. “Perfect.” He met her eyes. “You’re okay with a target on your back?”

Andy shrugged, “I’ll deal with it.”

He gave her an empathetic smile. “Two, three days at most alright? After that, we’re gone so you can get back to normal.”

Andy nodded, “Alright.” She looked thoughtful, “I’ll pull some stuff from the freezer and make some dinner. I’m sure you guys will be hungry.”

He looked at her in surprise. “You don’t have to do that. We can eat rations.”

Andy winced, “Rations don’t sound very good. Wouldn’t you rather have some real food?”

“Don’t want to cause more trouble for you.” Tet admitted nervously.

Andy shook her head, “It’s no trouble at all.” She gave him a wide smile, “I’ll go get started on that. Let me know if you guys need anything.”

He smiled back, his eyes twinkling. “If you insist.” He looked at Kiba who was carrying some folded cots down the stairs. “Tell everyone we’re getting a warm meal tonight and to be properly grateful.”

Kiba snorted. “This bunch wouldn’t know gratitude if it walked up and kicked them in the nuts.” He put the cots in a corner and headed back up the stairs. 

Tet turned red. “Sorry about him. He apparently _was_ really raised by wolves.”

Andy chuckled before heading up the stairs and going to the kitchen to start cooking. After a while, she finally finished up. She called down the stairs, “Dinner is ready.”

Tet appeared, looking hesitant. “Sure we should come up?”

“It’s fine,” Andy nodded, “Even if you guys would rather eat downstairs, I’m not carrying that many plates down myself.”

He chuckled, waving the team up. Twelve sets of eyes locked onto the food hungrily.

Andy plated it up and started passing them out to the men. 

They didn’t wait, attacking the food as if it would vanish if they didn’t. Tet rolled his eyes and gave Andy an apologetic smile. “Sorry. They’re usually a bit more behaved. It’s been awhile since we had real food.”

Andy smiled, “It’s okay. I just hope they like it.”

He chuckled as he began eating. His eyes went wide. “This is good!”

“Thanks,” she grinned as she got herself a plate and sat at the table.

The men finished, stacking their plates in the sink as they began to file down the stairs. Tet frowned. “Forgetting something?”

A chorus of ‘thank you’s sounded, then they were gone. 

Tet rose with his empty plate, going to the sink and beginning to wash.

“I can do the dishes, don’t worry about it,” Andy finished her food and went to the sink.

“Unh unh. We’re disrupting your life enough. You shouldn’t have to clean up after us too.” Tet smiled softly at her. His eyes drifted to her lips for a moment, then he turned red and quickly returned his attention to the dishes.

Andy gave a small chuckle before looking thoughtful, “Do you guys need anything? I have a bunch of extra blankets if you need any? I know the basement can get cold.”

“I’ll ask. The vamps run cold, the shifters run warm. The porters might appreciate them.” He finished the dishes, shutting off the water. “I should probably let you do whatever you do to relax.”

Andy shrugged, “Lately I’ve just been reading about different spells and trying some out. Not really the most relaxing but it is fun.”

“Careful if any mention fire. Wouldn’t want this place burning down.” He grinned playfully.

She chuckled, “There are a few about fire. Haven’t tried them yet though.” She sighed, “I guess I’ll be in my room. If you need anything just knock. It’s the door at the end of the hall.”

He nodded, his eyes glittering. He looked like he was going to speak, but instead headed for the stairs.

Andy watched him a moment before saying a quiet, “Good night,” and heading off toward her room.

Tet slowly walked down the stairs, his head awhirl with confusion. This feeling.. It couldn’t happen. Especially under the circumstances. He was already under a kill order, though so did it really matter? He growled to himself as he opened the door.

“Ryusei, find me something to kill.”

The tone of his voice ended whatever sharp retort the porter would have made, only a quiet ‘yes sir’ emerging as he checked the status of the world above.

“The vamps are back in the park.” Kiba’s voice was half bored. 

“Alright. I’ll give them a return fight.” Tet suited up, Kiba starting to do the same before the tiger stopped him. “You stay here. I’m doing this alone.”

Kiba scowled. “You want to die? Why not just walk up to the kill squad then?”

“I need to clear my head. I’ll be fine. Just keep monitoring the situation and call the Boss. Give him a sit-rep.”

Tet made his way out of the house, quickly shifting and running into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

“Andy! Where are you?” Kiba’s shout echoed in the hallway.

Andy took a moment before opening the door to her room, “What’s up?’

“Fearless leader went to stop some rampaging vamps and he’s not back yet.” The wolf was pacing rapidly, his eyes worried.

Andy froze, “He went by _himself_? What was he thinking?”

“Said he needed to clear his head by killing something.” Kiba scowled at her.

She sighed, “So let’s go look for him.”

Kiba headed for the door. He had the van started by the time she caught up.

“Where was he going exactly?”

“The park. He should have been back by now. Reports were only a few were out.”

“Alright, let’s see if we find anything at the park then.”

Kiba broke every speeding rule there was in getting there. He stomped on the brakes as they saw a field, empty except for an unmoving body.

Andy got out of the van, rushing toward the body to see if it was Tet.

He lay in a puddle of blood, multiple bite marks visible. His eyes were glazed, his throat savaged.

Andy knelt beside him, “Stay with me, okay?” She took a deep breath then muttered out the healing spell. The light flowed into him, slowly closing the wounds up. 

Kiba crouched beside them, face paling. “He’s lost too much blood..”

Tet mouthed an apology slowly, his eyes struggling to focus on her.

Andy glanced at Kiba, “Let’s stop by the clinic, I can get some blood there and we can set up a transfusion.”

Kiba’s lips tightened, but he hefted Tet’s limp body and ran for the van. He laid him inside, then started the engine and waited.

Andy climbed into the van quickly, then watched outside as Kiba sped off.

Tet reached for her hand weakly. His eyes were sad, tears welling. He tried to speak.

“It’s okay, you’re going to be fine,” she took his hand and tried to comfort him.

He gazed at her for a moment, then his eyes closed. His hand went limp in hers.

Andy froze for a moment before moving to check for a pulse.

Silence met her fingers.

Andy cursed, her medical training kicking in and starting CPR. She muttered out the healing spell again, hoping it would help. No light came out this time, so she continued performing CPR. She continued for a while, no sign of his heart starting to beat on its own. She tried to remember any other healing spells, and finally she remembered reading a passage about bringing the dead back to life. The only problem was, there was no spell listed. She focused her energy, while trying to focus on Tet. Eventually a different colored light spilled out. The healing light was normally a light blue, but this was a deep shimmering gold. The light surrounded him for a moment, until he sucked in a breath of air.

His eyes remained closed, but he was breathing steadily as Kiba pulled up to the clinic. The shifter hurriedly parked, then made his way back to them. “How is he?”

“He’s doing better now,” Andy stared at Tet for a moment, surprised at her own power. She finally climbed out of the van, heading to unlock the clinic door.

Kiba lifted the unconscious shifter, heading into the nearest room. Laying him down on the bed, the soldier moved out of her way.

Andy quickly set up a transfusion, then sat beside Tet and checked his pulse again to make sure it was steady. 

She looked up at Kiba, “He should be okay now.”

He nodded quietly, his eyes locked on his friend. “He’s not thinking straight. He would have never done this normally.”

Andy sighed, “Is it because of everything going on with the war? Or something else?”

“He’s worried about the war, of course. Trying to find a way to save us from the kill squad. But it’s more about you. You don’t even know how you entice us..” His voice went low. “There’s a good reason why we don’t mix.”

Andy raised an eyebrow in confusion.

He chuckled humorlessly. “Your smell.. It’s overwhelming to unmated shifters. It takes over our thinking. It’s a constant battle not to..” He broke off, averting his eyes. 

Andy didn’t know what to say in response, so she stayed quiet, looking back at Tet. 

“I didn’t.. want to scare you.” His eyes were yellow, shining in the light. “I’m sorry.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like a gnawed bone. But I’m alive, thanks to you.”

Kiba glared at him. “Of all the moronic things to do right now… I should call Boss. Let him make you a rug for his office.”

Tet swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, okay? I won’t do it again.”

Andy looked between them, staying quiet. She stood, checking on the transfusion bag before cleaning up the supplies she’d gotten out.

“Any news on the order?” Tet asked sleepily.

Kiba scowled. “No dice and you know it.”

The tiger sighed sadly. “Had to ask. Better come up with plan B.”

“You should probably wait until you’re fully healed to leave,” Andy assessed. She gave Tet a small smile, “And I’ll at least make dinner again tomorrow night unless you guys plan on heading out early.”

He gave her a smile, then closed his eyes.

Kiba glared at her, then motioned to the hallway angrily.

Andy rolled her eyes and headed into the hall. 

“Are you under the impression we’re going to be saved or something?” His voice was low and harsh, his eyes gleaming.

“Not really, but at least at my place you guys don’t have to split up and go on the run.” She sighed, “I’m just trying to be helpful, okay?”

Kiba huffed. “Sorry. Keep forgetting you’re new to this.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I bet fearless moron in there told you something about getting the order rescinded.” He met her eyes. “Kill orders are for the life of the target. We can’t escape it. Sooner or later, we’ll all be executed. If you continue to help, so will you.”

Andy took a deep breath, then nodded, “I’m not just going to stop helping because it could be risky.” She looked thoughtful a second, “Also, I’m not sure how I did it yet, but in the van, Tet died and I brought him back with magic. I _might_ be able to bring you guys back if you are found.”

Kiba stared at her, stunned. After a minute, he swallowed hard. “For someone who was clueless a few days ago, you sure learn quick.”

Andy gave him a small smile in response, “The book my parents had just has good notes in it.”

He gave a small chuckle. Then he headed for the back door. “I’m going to check the perimeter. Make sure moron doesn’t do anything stupid until I get back?”

Andy chuckled, “I’ll try.” She headed back in the room to check Tet over again.

His color had returned, his breaths slow and even as he slept.

There was the crack of a rifle firing outside.

Andy cursed, heading to the back door. She opened it and glanced outside to see if she could see anything.

Kiba lay face down in the alley, blood pooling under him.

Andy quickly lifted him, bringing him inside and setting him on a bed. She checked him over before reciting the healing spell, watching the wound slowly close back up.

He lay still, his eyes closed.

She checked for his pulse, hoping to find it steady.

There wasn’t one, his skin beginning to cool under her fingertips.

She cursed, trying to remember how she brought Tet back. She focused her mind and soon the gold light surrounded Kiba.

He jerked, his chest rising as he sucked in air. His eyes opened, staring at her in amazement before slipping closed once more.

“What did you just do?” Tet’s awed voice came from behind her.

“I saved him,” Andy answered, slight shock in her voice at being able to do it again.

Tet slowly approached, his face a mask of shock. “It’s true then.. Your father…” He sat down hard.

Andy looked at him in confusion, “What about him?”

“There was talk that the Council employed a necromancer to keep death at bay so they could continue ruling.” Tet rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Most necromancers are killed as soon as their gift manifests, in fear of what they might be capable of..”

“So this isn’t just a normal witch thing?” Andy wondered.

“I would say no. Most witches can heal and all the other things you’ve heard about. Necromancers are powerful, able to speak to and raise the dead easily. They can even control people by controlling their life force for their own means.” He looked at her. “Starting to understand why your parents didn’t say anything..”

Andy sat there taking it all in, “So.. I’m a witch and a necromancer? The book doesn’t talk about that really, it has stuff about talking to the dead or bringing others back but I thought that was normal for witches...”

“Apparently so. That book is probably your father’s book of shadows. His personal spells.” Tet exhaled slowly. “No wonder things are after you and Kadoya assigned us.”

“So they want to take me out because I could be powerful?” Andy tried to piece everything together. “I didn’t even know about this until those hounds came to the clinic.. They could have just let me keep living a normal life and I wouldn’t have had a clue.”

Tet sighed and stood. “I’m going to be straight with you. Our boss has suspected someone powerful who has wanted to destroy the Council has been waiting for something. You. There had been no sign of the treaties being broken between the Council until just before the hound attack. Now a full on war, which should have taken months to start, has broken out overnight. It can’t be coincidence. Someone wanted your gifts to manifest.” He growled under his breath. “You’re in even more danger now. You have to find a place to hide.”

Andy sighed, “I can’t keep working at the clinic then, can I?” She looked around at her workplace with sadness in her eyes.

“Hiding won’t help.” Kiba’s voice was rough but strong. “We were wrong. We thought the hounds were coming to kill her. I think they were under orders to capture her.”

Tet cursed explosively. “She’s one of three necromancers known to have lived to adulthood. Why didn’t I see this?”

Kiba snickered as he slowly sat up. “Other things on your mind probably.”

Tet shot him a dirty look, then turned thoughtful. “Anyplace you know where we can prepare if someone or something tries to snatch you?”

Andy shrugged, “Necromancers really don’t live to adulthood? And if there’s three, I’d guess my dad is one of them. Who’s the third?”

Kiba raised an eyebrow. “Killed as soon as powers manifest, remember? The first time dear Tommy raises Fido after chasing cars, he’s a goner. Tommy, not Fido.”

Tet rolled his eyes. “The third is a legend. Seltain. Supposedly he started the Council. He’s said to have lived longer than the oldest vampire there, who is over a thousand years old at last count. No one has ever seen him, so most think he’s imaginary. Our boss isn’t so sure.”

Andy nodded, “Ok, so now they want to capture me and not kill me? For what? Bringing them back to life?”

“Even necromancers can stave off death only so long.. Maybe they want you as their successor?” Tet started to pace as he thought. “ _If_ Seltain is behind the Council dissolving and the war, then he probably doesn’t want peace. Meaning if he gets his hands on you..”

Andy sighed, “You said he started the Council? Why would he dissolve it?”

“Maybe he’s lost his mind. Maybe he’s turned to the dark side? Who knows?” Kiba stood, frowning as he stared out the window. “All that matters is he wants you. He’s willing to kill anyone who stands in his way, evidenced by the order. Question is, how can we protect you if we can’t even walk outside?”

Andy sighed, “I’m sure I can figure something out.. I know there’s a kill order out on you anyway, but maybe it’s better if I go into hiding by myself? That way you guys won’t get hurt if something does happen..”

Both men gave her matching looks of disbelief. 

“We’re dead either way, so might as well go out fighting.” Kiba shrugged.

“I’ll give the team the choice of staying or not. But I’m not going anywhere.” Tet told her as his phone rang. Answering it, he spoke quickly. “Tell him to go to the house. Here is too exposed. We’re on our way.” He closed it, looking at Kiba. “Boss wants a face to face.”

Kiba’s eyes widened. “Shit..I’m never going to hear the end of this.” He headed for the hall dejectedly.

Tet chuckled. “Doubt he wants _your_ hide for a rug though. Me on the other hand…”

Andy took a moment before following them. 

Tet turned to her. “Might want to put together a first aid kit before we leave. We’ll probably need it.”

Andy nodded, grabbing a kit and throwing extra supplies into it. It was stuffed and she struggled to get it shut, but finally got the clasps closed before looking back at Tet, “Alright. Are we heading back to my house?”

He nodded. “We’ll decide what to do after Boss leaves.” He started for the back door, then looked back at her, his smile impish. “Ever wanted to meet a dragon?”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “There’s dragon shifters?”

Tet laughed. “Yep. Comes in handy when you want to grill but its raining.” He crouched, running quickly toward the idling van.

Andy did the same, holding tightly to the kit in her hand.

Tet quickly slid the door shut as she got in, tapping Kiba’s shoulder. 

The shifter gunned the engine, pulling into traffic. He watched the side window warily as he drove.

Tet sat down next to Andy, wrapping an arm around her gently. “Sorry about all this. Must be hard to make sense of.” One hand ran through her hair slowly.

Andy nodded, “Last week I was just a normal doctor, now I have people after me and I can apparently raise the dead.. It’s all so crazy.”

He squeezed her softly. “Anything I can do?”

She shook her head and gave a small chuckle, “Unless you could make time stop so I can process everything, not really. Thank you though. For everything you’ve been helping me with.”

“You’re welcome, though I think I’ve caused more problems than I’ve helped. I have to thank you for everything you’ve done. Putting up with us could give you a stroke at the best of times, but right now.. And I certainly haven’t helped with taking off and getting myself hurt..” He clasped his hands together nervously. “I don’t remember much, just being sad I couldn’t stay and tell you how I felt, then everything went dark. But suddenly a gold light appeared and dragged me back..”

“You saw the gold light?” Andy looked thoughtful for a moment before sighing, “You were hurt pretty badly and even though I healed the wounds, you were too far gone.. I tried CPR for a while, until I remembered reading about bringing people back to life. I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow I brought you back..”

He gave her a soft smile. “You’re amazing. Can I tell you something? Just don’t freak out?”

She nodded slowly, “Alright?”

“I think I’m in love with you.” He looked frightened, unlike the man she’d come to know.

Andy gave a soft smile, “We’ve only really just met.. but I know I like you.”

His eyes glittered as his voice grew husky. “This might be a mistake..” He leaned forward and kissed her hard.

Andy smiled, kissing him back. She felt butterflies in her stomach, and she relaxed slightly as she realized how comforting the kiss was.

He drew back, breathing hard as Kiba parked. “Quit necking and let’s go.”

Andy chuckled, climbing out of the van and heading toward the house.

Tet gave Kiba an aggravated look as he regained his composure. The wolf grinned at him unashamed as he followed Andy.

A white haired man sat at her kitchen table, reading a file calmly.

Andy glanced at Kiba, “Is that your boss?”

His lips twitched. “Boss, big brother. What’s the difference?”

Andy raised an eyebrow but nodded. She smiled at the man, “Can I get you anything? Water? Tea?”

“Tea, please.” He gave her a smile, then looked over at Kiba. “Reports of your death appear to have been exaggerated, little brother.”

Kiba shrugged. “Lucky shot. But I was luckier.” He glanced at Andy quietly.

The man’s aide snickered, earning him a glance from his boss.

Tet looked down at the floor in an effort to hide a smile.

Andy worked on heating up the water then pouring a glass for their boss. She looked at the other men in the room, “Do any of you want tea too?”

They shook their heads. The man accepted the glass, then spoke again. “Forgive my manners. I am Colonel Tsukasa Kadoya. I run this band of misfits. At least I try.”

“I’m Andy, but you probably already knew that,” she chuckled softly.

He gave her another smile. “I hope they haven’t been too much trouble.” He sent a look at Tet. “Kanamoto. I should kick your ass for this stunt, but I don’t need a rug. So you’re excused for now.”

Tet saluted. “Thank you sir.”

The aide snickered again, Kiba joining in. 

Tsukasa looked amused. “Relax, Tetsuya. What’s the situation?”

Tet sat down at the table. “We think we know who’s behind this whole thing. Seltain.”

The room went silent for a moment, then Tsukasa sighed. “I was afraid of that.” He glanced at his aide. “Sit down, Kaito. Drink if you need too.”

The aide was pale as he reached into a bag on his shoulder, withdrawing a bottle of red liquid and downing half of it. He sat down, hands gripped tight around it.

Andy watched them all quietly.

“I’ve had my suspicions for a while now. But to have it confirmed..” Tsukasa glared at the file. “Why now?”

Tet looked at Andy. “Her. She’s awakened and he wants her.”

Tsukasa raised his eyes to hers. “What are you going to do?”

Andy shrugged, “Haven’t figured that out yet.”

He nodded silently, then glanced back at Tet. “The Farm is empty right now. You guys would have a better chance there.”

Tet’s eyes glittered. “Nice idea. I think we’ll do that.” He met Andy’s eyes for a moment, then looked away. “We’ll head out at once.” He headed for the stairs, Kiba following.

Andy went to her room and started packing a bag. She made sure the book was in there as well as the first aid kit and a few changes of clothes. She glanced around a moment with a sigh, then headed back out toward the kitchen.

Tsukasa hadn’t moved. He eyed her bag calmly. “Thought you hadn’t decided what to do?”

Andy sighed, “Well, I’m probably in danger here, right?”

He nodded, his eyes locked on her. “You don’t have to go with them though. You are free to choose.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, “I wouldn’t have any idea where else to go.”

He stood and approached her with a small smile. “You’re quite brave. I can see why Tet wants you.” He looked back at his aide amusedly. “Even Kaito was eyeing you. And believe me when I say you have to be pretty impressive to catch his eye.”

Kaito blushed, quickly dropping his eyes to his now empty bottle.

Andy chuckled slightly in response.

A whoosh of air and the tinkle of bells heralded Yamae and Ryusei. They were both bloodied and bruised, falling to their knees as soon as they appeared.

Andy went to them, the blue light spreading over them as the wounds were healed. 

“What happened?” Tsukasa demanded.

“Porters helping the suckers. Ambushed us when we went back to base.” Yamae’s voice was ragged as if it was a strain to speak.

Tsukasa scowled for a minute. “Don’t worry about the equipment. You’re going to the Farm. Grab your stuff, we leave in thirty.”

The two men gave slow salutes and disappeared downstairs.

Andy glanced at Tsukasa, “So what is this Farm like?”

“Training base, fortified defense post. It hopefully will stand up to anything Seltain can throw at us. Wasn’t expecting the porters to take sides though. May pose problems.” He sighed.

Andy nodded in response.

Tet reappeared, bag slung over his shoulder. The rest of the team were waiting behind him. “We’re ready.”

Tsukasa nodded. “Carry on. Everything is ready for you. Watch yourselves.”

Tet saluted again, then he headed out the door. The other men followed quickly, leaving the house quiet.

Tsukasa gave Andy’s hand a kiss. “I hope to see you again when this is all over.” He motioned to Kaito who rose and picked up the file before exiting. The Colonel smiled at her. “You might want to hurry if you’re going to accompany them.”

Andy went outside, calling for Tet. When she got close to him she spoke, “I’m going too. I mean, unless you really don’t want me to. I’m just not sure where else to go.”

His eyes were soft as he smiled. “I was hoping you’d come. But I wasn’t going to decide for you.” He took her bag, placing it in the van. Then he extended his hand to her.

She smiled and took his hand, climbing into the van. “How far is it from here?”

“A few hours.” He slid the door closed, then sat down beside her. “You would have been there faster if the porters hadn’t taken off.”

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah. They just can’t stay still for that long.” Tet grinned. 

Andy chuckled, looking out the front window. She sighed and pulled out her phone, starting to type out an email to her employees. When she was done she shut her phone off and glanced out the window again.

Tet couldn’t stop staring at her. His eyes roamed her face, memorizing every detail. He sighed as his thoughts returned to the problem at hand. Seltain must be insane to have started a war between the races. The soldier scowled. He’d be damned if the asshole got his hands on Andy. 

Andy looked over at him and noticed his staring, making her blush slightly, “What are you thinking about?”

“You.” He gave her a grin. “You’re beautiful and I can’t help myself.”

She chuckled softly, “Thanks.”

He shifted closer to her, quickly kissing her cheek. “I wish we’d get there faster.”

Andy yawned, then chuckled and leaned against him, “It’s been a busy night. It’s good to get a small break to rest.”

He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her hair. “Try to nap. It’ll be busy before you know it.”

Andy closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

The smell of something burning brought her awake.

She opened her eyes quickly, looking around in confusion.

She was still in the van, only it was now on its side. Flames were visible in the front and the sliding door was ajar. Shouts were heard outside, then the door was pushed open and arms reached for her.

Andy climbed out of the van, looking around. 

Yamae looked her over. “You okay?” 

“What’s going on?” She reached in and grabbed her bag quickly, not wanting the book to burn.

“Bastards planted mines on the road. We got worried and came looking to find this.” He waved his hand.

The other van was upside down, almost burned out. She could see Ryusei and Zal conferring as other team members carried a figure out toward a grassy spot where there were other forms lying under sheets.

Andy headed over, uncovering them slowly.

Tet lay there beside Kiba and a few that she hadn’t been introduced to yet. Yamae looked down, his jaw twitching as he looked at one of the bodies. 

Andy went to each of them, reciting the healing spell before focusing on them and covering them all in a golden light. She took a deep breath as she focused, trying to make sure the revivals worked.

Yamae gave a low whistle as he saw the men breathing. 

Zal approached, eyes hooded. “Yamae, Ryusei’s going to take her to the Farm. As soon as you and Ryon are up for it, we’ll go in teams.” He didn’t look at her.

Ryusei took her arm. “Hold on.”

Andy nodded, holding onto his arm, wondering what teleporting would feel like.

The bells were louder and the wind swept them away. When she opened her eyes, they were standing in a large room filled with computers.

Ryusei stepped away from her, his eyes hard. “Stay here. I’ll get Tet.” He disappeared before she could say anything.

Andy glanced around at the computers, unsure what she should be doing. She hoped Tet, Kiba, and the others were doing okay.

Ryusei materialized, supporting a semiconscious Tet. The shifter latched onto her arms as the porter released him.

“I thought you were dead.” Tet’s voice was low and shaky.

“I’m fine,” Andy assured. “You, on the other hand, should lay down and rest.”

Ryusei grabbed them both and suddenly they were in a small bedroom. With a jaunty salute, the porter vanished.

Tet rolled his eyes, a small smile on his lips. “Show off.”

Andy chuckled, looking around. She sat on the edge of the bed, placing her bag on the floor and grabbing the book from it. She then glanced at Tet, “You should sleep.”

He gave her a pout before lying down. “I don’t want to.”

She smiled softly, “You should anyway.” She moved to sit at the top of the bed, opening the book and starting to read.

He chuckled, closing his eyes. Soon he was relaxed and snoring softly. His shaggy bangs lay on his forehead, making him look younger.

Andy watched him for a bit before softly running a hand through his hair. 

His lips curved up and he leaned into the touch, curling onto his side.

Andy continued to rub his hair as she went back to reading.

There was a soft knock at the door.

Andy got up slowly to not bother Tet and set the book in the place she’d been sitting. She then went and opened the door.

A young man she hadn’t met yet stood at attention. “Is Lt Kanamoto available?”

“I’ll go wake him,” she answered. Heading back to the bed she gently shook Tet’s arm, “Hey, one of your friends wants you?”

He blinked, looking at her. “Send him in.” He sat up, scratching his stubbled chin.

Andy went back to the door and opened it wider, “Come in.”

The young man gave her a nod, walking briskly into the room. He saluted, handed Tet a piece of paper, and resumed his ramrod straight posture.

Tet took the paper and rolled his eyes. “At ease Captain. Andy, meet Yoshi Tanaka. Yoshi, meet Andy.”

The man relaxed, a smile slowly appearing as he inclined his head toward hers. “Pleased to meet you.”

“You too,” she smiled.

Tet suddenly growled, crumpling the paper in his hand. “Yoshi, put everyone on alert. The Colonel is enroute. ETA three hours.”

“Yes sir!” Yoshi spun and left the room at a run as Tet threw the paper across the room violently.

“Why is he coming here?”

“Someone tried to kill him after he returned. Got Kaito instead. The higher ups implied it might be safer for him to join us.”

Andy nodded. She gave him a thoughtful look, “So if I’m going to be staying here, care to show me around?”

He gave her a crooked grin. “Your wish is my command.” He stood up and embraced her. “First things first though.” He dipped his head and kissed her gently.

She smiled and kissed him back. 

He exhaled as they parted. “You taste so sweet, like honey.” His eyes were glowing as he met hers. “I can barely make myself stop.”

She chuckled, “Well, I’m sure we’ll have more time for kissing later.”

He gave a soft growl. “We better.” Then he took her hand and led her into the hall. They walked briskly through the base, him pointing out various rooms. Finally, they stood in front of a large room with double doors. 

“Infirmary slash morgue. Fully outfitted with the latest medical advances.”

Andy’s eyes lit up, “So does anyone actually work here? Can I help out?”

“Base was closed three years ago. We have kind of taken it over when we’re in country. Remember, I told you we have no medic on the team? We all know basic first aid but we’re not doctors.”

Andy nodded, “So basically I’m the only doctor while we’re here.” 

“Only if you want to be. You’re under our protection, not going to make you do anything.” He started walking again. “Why don’t we get you some food?”

“Well, it seems like you guys really need a doctor. And a necromancer,” Andy assessed. “I wouldn’t just sit around while you guys needed help.”

He let out a throaty chuckle as he pushed open the door to the mess hall. “Then you’re now a probationary enlistee. So what’s your pleasure?” He picked up a plastic bag full of pouches.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “If you guys can get your hands on real food, I can be your cook too.”

“You are multi talented aren’t you?” He smiled at her. “Make a list and one of the porters can pick up your stuff.” 

She nodded, looking thoughtful again, “So that bedroom we were in, is that mine? Or yours? Or are we sharing a room?”

He looked at her. “Do you want to share my room? There are plenty of others available.”

Andy shrugged, “I just wanted to know where I’m staying.”

“Completely your choice. If you want, I can assign you other quarters.” He looked away, looking through the now open bag.

“My own room might be nice,” Andy assessed. “For now at least.” 

He nodded. “I’ll have Kiba take care of it.” He took something out of the bag, then headed for the kitchen area. 

The door opened behind her, Yamae entering. He was deep in conversation with another man who looked eerily similar.

“Hi, Andy.” He gave her a smile, the other man watching her intently.

“Hey,” she smiled back.

Yamae elbowed his companion. “Don’t just stand there.”

The other man shot him a look, then turned back to her. “I’m Ryon. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she grinned. 

“We have several sets if you’re interested. Some have the same abilities, some don’t. All of them are more trouble than they’re worth most of the time.” Tet’s grin belied the harsh words and the twins chuckled. 

“Maybe next time you get pinned down, we should stop for coffee before saving your ass?” Ryon shot back as his brother smothered a laugh.

Tet laughed. “Want some fresh air? Andy has volunteered to be our cook.”

The brothers looked at her with wide eyes. “Does this mean no more rations?”

“Well, as long as I’m not busy in the infirmary, I figure I can cook. So mostly, yes.”

Their eyes sparkled. “Thank god.”

Another man entered, making a beeline for the refrigerator. He pulled out a pouch of red liquid and inserted a straw. He looked at the four of them. “What’s going on?”

Tet chuckled. “Just getting ready to go shopping, Jack. How’s everything coming along?”

“Almost finished getting everything squared away. The Colonel wanted to know if she can revive Kaito or if there’s a time limit?”

Andy frowned, “I’ve not read anything about time limits.. I can give it my best try though.”

Tet looked troubled. “I hope it works. Otherwise we may have a very angry dragon to calm down.”

Andy nodded, “Well, it’s not like the body would have started to decay yet, so I don’t see a problem in terms of that. It’ll probably just depend on what the damage was exactly.”

Soon, the honking of a horn alerted them to Tsukasa’s arrival. 

Andy looked at Tet, “Have them bring Kaito to the infirmary. I’ll go get some supplies ready.”

He nodded, walking quickly out the doors.

Andy headed into the infirmary, looking around at all the equipment. She finally found a cabinet filled with supplies so she started pulling ones out to at least start cleaning the body.

Tsukasa came in slowly, cradling his aide to his chest.

Kaito was pale, his eyes closed. Several knife wounds were evident in his chest and abdomen.

The dragon laid him gently on a bed, his eyes wet. “Before you try, I need to inform you Daiki is a vampire. I don’t know if that changes anything.”

Andy looked thoughtful, “I don’t think it will affect anything.” She grabbed more supplies and started stitching up the wounds. She then recited the healing spell, closing the wounds further. She spent a few moments focusing, trying to feel what she had felt before. Soon the gold light surrounded him. 

He began to breathe, a faint tinge of color returning. As the light faded, Tsukasa took one of his hands anxiously. 

Black eyes opened halfway. “Tsukasa..” The vampire was weak, his voice barely audible.

Andy gave a small smile, glad she could bring him back. “He probably needs a transfusion to help with the weakness from blood loss. I’ll go find stuff to set that up.”

Tsukasa’s eyes didn’t leave his aide as he nodded. “Thank you.”

Andy went to find the supplies she needed and came back, setting up the transfusion. 

Tet watched quietly for a moment, then slipped out of the room. He started making his way toward his quarters, grimacing as he did. The hallway suddenly spun and he fell, hitting his head on the way down. He lost consciousness, laying still.

“Let me know if you guys need anything. I’ll be back in a bit to check on him,” Andy informed Tsukasa before heading into the hall. She wondered if she had been assigned a room yet, but headed toward Tet’s room to get her book. She noticed a body in the hall, and rushed over to check him over. She frowned when she realized who it was. Muttering the healing spell, blue light surrounded him to help heal him a bit more. 

He didn’t stir, his heartbeat slow. He was flushed as if feverish, but his skin was cold.

Kiba came running from the other direction, cursing as he realized the situation.

Andy looked up at Kiba for a moment before she tried a different healing spell she’d seen in the book.

“It’s genetic. Not sure a spell can help.” Kiba hefted Tet over his shoulder, continuing to his quarters. He lay the soldier down, quickly pulling a vial and syringe from Tet’s possessions. Filling it, Kiba injected the liquid. He put the items away in a drawer, then covered the shifter with a blanket. “He’ll be down the rest of the night probably. He shouldn’t have let it get this bad.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“His father is a shifter, his mother a vampire. He’s the only one of his kind surviving.” Kiba watched his friend with a scowl. “The Council is afraid of what he may be capable of, so they assigned him to our team. Probably in hopes he’d get killed. I lied to you about the kill order. It’s possible that it might be lifted on us, but not him. You shouldn’t get attached because sooner or later he’s going to die, either from an attack or his own body.”

Andy sighed, staring at Tet in silence. After a minute she spoke, “Well, everyone’s going to die eventually, right? Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ever get attached in the meantime.”

Kiba raised an eyebrow. “You’re interesting. Anyway, I was coming to find you. Yamae got your list. Food’s in the kitchen.” He left the room after looking at Tet a final time.

Andy followed, “Tet said you were going to get me a room..?”

He grinned, leading her down the hall to a door. “Here. Made sure we’re all bunked in another building so we don’t disturb you.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t have to do that, but thanks.”

“Believe me, you’ll appreciate it later. Some of us keep odd hours and our choice of hobbies can be loud.” Kiba chuckled. “Though maybe we should throw a party..?”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “That definitely sounds interesting. I should at least meet everyone around here, right?”

Kiba laughed, throwing his head back with a howl. “We’ll discuss it when fearless moron is awake. If you need me, I’ll be in the next building over.” He headed away from her, turning the corner and disappearing.

Andy grabbed her stuff and put it in her room, then headed to the kitchen to start prepping the meals for the next couple days. She then made some food, waiting to see if anyone would show up. She quickly ate her own plateful, then headed over to the next building to let them know to come eat. She knocked on the door, unsure what to expect.

Ryusei opened it, Yamae poking his head around him. “What’s up?”

“I made food if you guys want any.”

They looked at each other, grinning. Ryusei whistled loudly. “Chow time! Get it before we eat it all!” They vanished as the others appeared.

“If they do, I’ll just eat them.” Kiba muttered under his breath before smiling cheekily at Andy and heading for the kitchen.

Andy went back slowly, watching the men go ahead of her. 

They were quiet, filling plates and getting drinks as they looked around the room. 

Yamae approached her, glasses off. “Is it true Tet’s sick again?”

Andy nodded, “Yeah, he’s in his room.”

“Damn. That’s the sixth time this month.” He clapped a hand over his mouth as he realized his mistake. “Shit! Ignore that okay? Kiba will kick my ass if he knows I let that slip.” He quickly ported to a table and sat down, avoiding her gaze.

Andy sighed, thinking about everything. Was Tet really that sick? Was there anyway she could come up with a better medicine or even a cure? Between her magic and knowledge of medicine, there had to be _something_ she could do. 

She started washing the dishes as she continued to think.

The men left, thanking her as they did. Soon, only Kiba was left. He was sitting in a corner, nursing a drink and scowling at her back.

When she was done, she noticed him. “What’s wrong?”

“You. The way you fit in like a missing puzzle piece. It shouldn’t be like that.” He tossed his drink in the trash. “Tet has _never_ forgotten his medicine, not until we got this assignment. He can’t think straight when he’s around you and that’s dangerous. Especially now. How _have_ you managed to bewitch everyone so easily?”

“I’m sorry. It’s not like I’m trying to,” she frowned. After a moment of silence, she wondered, “Would it be better for everyone if I found a different place to hide out? I don’t want to cause problems for anyone..”

“He won’t allow that. He’s claimed you. You’re stuck like the rest of us.” He gave her a feral smile. “Just know if you cause his death, I’ll be the cause of yours.” He stalked out of the hall, his boots echoing on the floor.

Andy stayed there a while longer, wondering if she’d made the right decision by coming here. She finally got up and headed to the infirmary to check on Kaito.

Tsukasa looked up as she entered. “He’s sleeping still.” His eyes narrowed as he saw her expression. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, “It’s nothing.” She checked Kaito’s vitals and made sure everything was stable.

“You’re worried. I can smell it. Is it about Tet or something else?” Tsukasa looked at her.

“I am worried about him, wondering if there’s anything I can do to help. Wondering if I’ve made anything worse by coming here. Also, I’m not entirely sure, but your brother doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

Tsukasa gave a nod as he understood. “My brother is quite possessive, even for us. He’s been Tet’s best friend since we were children. He’s always protected him, whether it was from bullies, the military or the Council. He’s probably feeling helpless seeing Tet’s getting worse. Don’t take it personally.” 

He stood, stretching his legs. Then he resumed his seat. “As far as Tet goes, unless you have a spell to fix DNA.. He’s lived longer than his siblings, but everyone knew he had a limited lifespan. I know he’s much happier doing this than living in a sterile lab.”

Andy sighed, “I don’t feel I know much about spells, and I’ve only done the ones in my book, I’ve not tried creating any yet..” She looked thoughtful, “Would you mind if I take blood samples from you and Kaito? I want to see DNA differences between shifters and vampires, then analyze Tet’s DNA..” 

He smiled, rolling up his shirt sleeve. “Go ahead. As far as Kaito is concerned, I’ll authorize it. Somehow, I have the feeling you just might find the answer.”

Andy took the blood samples, then started analyzing them. She spent hours in the infirmary lab, looking through microscopes and taking notes, completely lost in her work.

Two hands suddenly covered her eyes.

Andy looked confused for a moment, “Tet?”

His chuckle came as he dropped his hands and turned her. “Heard you had locked yourself away looking for the secrets of DNA..”

“Well, as a doctor it is important to analyze differences, especially if I’m going to be treating people who aren’t entirely human. It’s really quite interesting.” She smiled, “And if I just happen to find a way to help you in the process...”

He froze. “What are you talking about?” 

She took his hand, “You know what I’m talking about.”

He tensed, shaking his head rapidly. “No one can help me. My body is destroying itself. It can’t be stopped.” He closed his eyes.

“I’d still like to try,” Andy answered. “Between my medical knowledge and magic, I might be able to figure something out. Can I have a blood sample please?”

He opened his eyes, searching her face for something before slowly nodding. He sat down on a stool.

Andy grabbed the stuff to get the sample, then gently stuck his arm with the needle. When she was done, she said the healing spell and quickly closed the little hole up. Then, she went back to the microscopes and started setting up new slides with the new blood sample.

He sat quietly, staring at the floor until the alarms began sounding. He reached for the radio on his belt. “Sit rep!”

“We’ve got hounds and suckers on the grounds. Chatter suggests porters are coming for _her_.” Kiba’s reply was short, sounds of fighting behind him.

“Understood. Defensive positions.” Tet replaced the radio and looked at her. “We need to hide you somewhere.”

Andy looked thoughtful, “I haven’t tried them yet, but there’s barrier spells I could try..”

“Do it. I _will not_ lose you to Seltain.” He pulled his pistol and left the infirmary. 

Andy tried to remember the spells, reciting the words aloud until a shimmering barrier surrounded her. She then recited an invisibility spell so she wouldn’t be found.

Tet saw Kiba battling a hound and jumped into the fray. Once it was down, they stood back to back as a group of vampires approached. They glanced at each other, then attacked.

A shimmer of light heralded a porter and Tsukasa fired his pistol. A body dropped onto the infirmary floor and he quickly scanned for others. Finally the sounds of fighting stopped.

Andy glanced out at the body, going over to check them over.

The porter was dead, his grey eyes staring. A bracelet around his wrist beeped once, then went silent. Blood covered his shirt.

Andy lifted him up into a bed, first closing his eyes, then checking his wounds over and reciting a few healing spells. She then focused, and the glow of golden light surrounded him.

Tsukasa raced over. “Get that bracelet off now !”

Andy looked up in confusion, but did as she was told.

The soldier quickly broke it into pieces, then immersed it in the sink. Finally, he exhaled sharply and looked at her. “If his heartbeat had restarted with it on his wrist, it would have exploded and killed us all.” He scowled as the porter’s eyes blinked open.

“What? How?” He looked at them in confusion.

“How what?” Andy raised an eyebrow.

“I was dead..” He sat up, his eyes widening as he saw the bracelet was gone.

“I saved you.”

“Why?” He looked at her quietly.

“I’m a doctor, it’s kind of my job to save people.”

“But I was supposed to take you..to him.” The words were slow, filled with loathing.

Andy was quiet for a moment, “Well, obviously if you try to, I’ll fight you. But I’m not just going to just let everyone die. You sound like you don’t even want to be doing that.”

“He’ll kill me if I don’t..” The porter kept looking at his bare wrist.

“I’m not going that easy, but I’m sure you can find a way to hide from him.”

He nodded silently as Zal slowly stumbled in. He weakly saluted, then spoke. “Defenses held, sir. All attackers defeated.” 

The vampire held a bloody hand to his side, trembling with fatigue. His blond hair was blood spattered and he had an oozing bite on his neck.

Andy approached him, saying a few spells. Blue and green lights covered him, the wounds closing and fading.

He gave her a grateful smile before he passed out.

She caught him and quickly carried him to a bed.

Tsukasa looked at her. “You ready to help? I’m sure they’re going to need it.”

Andy nodded, “Yeah.”

“Let’s go find them.” Tsukasa headed out of the infirmary cautiously. He ran into Yoshi who had a body in his arms. “Take him in.”

Andy glanced at the body, unsure if she should follow to help find more people or stay to help this one.

Tsukasa touched her arm. “I could bring them if it’s easier?”

Andy nodded, “I have the supplies here to help clean them up and do any stitching that needs done. It’s probably better to work in here.” She turned and followed Yoshi watching him lay the body on a bed. She checked him over, reciting spells then cleaning him up. His heart rate was low so she hooked him up to a few machines to keep track of it. She then glanced at Yoshi, “Are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about me.” His eyes were glued to the man she’d just healed.

Andy sighed, focusing and letting the blue light shine over Yoshi to work on healing any injuries.

Yamae materialized shakily, his arm wrapped around a still Ryusei. “Help him..” The porter had blood streaming from his scalp, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Ryusei wasn’t breathing, bloody slashes extending from his collarbone to his abdomen. 

Andy helped get Ryusei into a bed, stitching him up before focusing her powers into him. He finally started breathing again so she looked at Yamae, stopping the bleeding and checking him over for any other wounds.

“I’m okay.” The porter tried to smile. 

Andy focused for a moment until blue light surrounded him and started to heal him.

She suddenly felt exhausted, then realized she hadn’t really slept since she was in the van. How long ago had that been? Over a whole day? She shook her head, it didn’t matter, she had to stay with it to help the team.

Tsukasa came in, carrying a body as Jack carried another in. He caught her eye, shaking his head. “Don’t try to bring them back. Unless you are stronger than Seltain, there’s nothing you can do.” He slumped into a chair sadly.

“Why? What happened to them?” She looked them over.

Kiba and Tet lay still, viciously torn open from chest to abdomen. Their bodies were bloodsoaked, leaving them as pale as the bedsheets. Kiba’s face was frozen in a snarl, his eyes staring sightlessly. Tet’s face was peaceful, as if he’d accepted death.

Andy closed the eyes before going to get supplies. She spent the next couple hours stitching them back together and cleaning their bodies of the blood. She then started with all the healing spells she knew, before hooking up transfusion bags. Then, she spent a while focusing on them. It took a while longer than normal, but eventually the golden light appeared around them. She felt herself growing weaker but continued to focus, refusing to give up.

The two men sucked in breaths simultaneously as Tsukasa gave a gasp.

“No wonder Seltain wants you…” He gave her a look of amazement.

She closed her eyes a moment, trying to push away the exhaustion. She ended up swaying a bit before leaning against one of the beds.

“Yoshi. Get her to bed before she collapses.” Tsukasa shook his head at her. “No arguments. You need to rest before you burn yourself out.”

Yoshi gently picked her up, heading out and towards her room. Once there, he laid her down and covered her. “Sleep. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll protect you.”

Andy nodded slowly, barely keeping her eyes open. She finally shut them and was asleep in seconds.

She woke, noticing the sun shining through the window. She slowly pushed herself up, trying to process everything that had happened.

“Feeling better?” Tsukasa spoke softly from his seat at the end of the bed.

She took a deep breath before nodding, “Yeah. How is everyone?”

“Most of them are cleaning up. The porter you saved has asked for asylum and I’m inclined to grant it.”

“He doesn’t seem that bad,” Andy answered. 

“According to him, Seltain has enslaved several Council members with his powers. That’s in addition to others he’s attached those bracelets to.”

“Is there a way we can save them?”

“Destroy Seltain. But in order to do that, you’d have to be in the same room. And I am terrified of that happening.”

Andy nodded, “Did the porter know what Seltain wants from me exactly?”

“He wants your powers. He wants to strip you of all your abilities.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Is that even possible?”

“If he kills you ritually, hell yes. And with his powers, he could take control of you and you’d do it for him gladly.”

Andy sighed, “So what do we do?”

“Keep you as far away as possible until such time as you can resist and kill him.” Tsukasa moved to the window with a sigh. “He won’t stop. There will be more attacks until he gets ahold of you. But we will protect you. He won’t have you as long as one of us remains alive.”

“I don’t want you guys to keep getting hurt, or killed, because of me. Won’t it be safer for everyone if I hide somewhere by myself?”

He turned to face her. “You think he cares if we’re with you or not? He wants to rule over all the races and if you don’t submit, he tramples you. He’d kill us even if you were dead because we won’t accept him. So no, it’s not safer. Plus Tet would just follow you.”

Andy sighed, “Alright..” 

“Where is she?! Let me see her!” Tet’s voice was near panicked.

Andy climbed out of bed and went to the door, opening it.

Tet’s eyes met hers. Yoshi was supporting him at the same time as keeping him from the door, but now he almost fell as Tet sagged weakly into his arms. 

Andy went to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, “How are you feeling?”

“Weak, but better now that I’ve seen you.” He laid his cheek on her hand softly. She could feel him shaking from the exertion.

“Let’s get you back to bed, okay?”

He nodded, struggling to stay conscious. His breathing was harsh and labored. “Need my medicine..”

Yoshi looked at her. “I’ll get it.” He released Tet and headed down the hall toward the soldier’s room.

Andy wrapped her arm around Tet and led him into her room, “Lay down, you need to rest.”

Tet sank into the mattress, his eyes closing as Yoshi arrived with the vial and syringe. The other man watched sadly as his friend shook. “He’s dying, isn’t he?”

Andy sighed, “I’m working on trying to help him. Speaking of, I should probably get back to the lab..”

“I’ll stay with him.” Yoshi measured a dose from the vial and injected it, watching as Tet stilled.

Andy nodded, giving Tet a final glance before heading toward the infirmary. She entered, heading back toward the lab and looking over the notes she’d already made. Hours went by as she tried different things both medical and magical.

Tet’s mind strayed, images of the present and past intermingling. He cracked his eyes open, his heart skipping a beat as he saw his mother. Suddenly her face morphed into Andy’s and the shifter felt his blood race. “Andy.. so much to tell you..”

“Hush, Tet.”

He could feel a cloth on his face and he leaned into the coolness, feeling some of the fire in him diminish. “Say you won’t leave..” His eyes slipped closed again as he lost consciousness.

Yoshi sighed, continuing to wipe Tet’s face. His temperature had skyrocketed in the intervening hours and the fellow shifter felt his heart sink. His friend was fighting a losing battle against his own body and he feared nothing could prevent the defeat.

Andy finally headed back to her room, entering slowly. She checked Tet over, saying a spell to help lower his temperature a bit. She glanced at Yoshi, “I _might_ have a cure, but it involves me doing magic I’ve never done..”

“Please try..” Yoshi locked eyes with her. “If we lose him, this entire squad is doomed.”

Andy nodded, placing a hand on Tet’s chest. She muttered a bunch of words which Yoshi couldn’t understand before a large intricate blue circle appeared around her hand. She pulled her hand away, the mark staying on Tet’s chest for a minute before it slowly faded away. She watched him in silence, praying it worked.

His breathing sped up and the flushed skin returned to normal. The tremors slowed, then stopped completely. He appeared to be deeply asleep now. 

Andy smiled, hoping the spell would keep working.

Yoshi exhaled in relief. “He doesn’t realize just how lucky he is.”

“Hopefully the magic seal lasts. It’s the first one I’ve done and first spell I’ve created myself..” 

“Fingers crossed.” He handed her the half full vial. “You should probably research this just in case.”

She nodded, “I’ll work on it soon.” She pocketed it. “Where does he get this medicine from?”

“Jack makes it. Apologies for not being a doctor. All I know is, it contains DNA or something from vampire sources.”

She nodded, looking back at Tet.

Tsukasa entered quickly. “How is he?” His voice was tight, hand clenched around his cell.

“Alright for now, I think,” Andy answered.

The dragon nodded before turning to Yoshi. “Some of my informants say Council members are on their way. If they _are_ being controlled, this will probably get ugly. Get everyone ready to fight.”

Yoshi saluted and rushed out the door.

Andy looked at Tsukasa, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Make sure the infirmary is ready. Do you know defensive magic? If not, you may want to shield yourself again.” 

Andy nodded, “I’ll see what I can do.” She glanced at Tet, “What about him? Just let him keep sleeping?”

“Do you think he can fight right now?”

She frowned, “I’m not sure.”

“Can you hide him?” Tsukasa looked up as Kiba entered slowly. 

“I’ll do some protection and invisibility spells before I head to the infirmary.”

“Colonel, Tabitha Xalman is asking to see you and Andy..”

“Who is that?” Andy wondered aloud.

“Head witch of the Council. Kai, that’s the porter you rescued, says she’s in league with Seltain. We don’t get along because frankly she’s a bitch. And not in the sense of takes no shit. I mean bitch as in wishing she’d both melt _and_ get a house dropped on her.”

“So what does she want with us?”

“Well, I am the CO of this outfit and you’re the one Seltain wants. Bet good money she’s going to try diplomacy first, then try taking you by force again.” Tsukasa scowled. “Tempted to shift and flash fry her as a warning.”

Andy sighed, “So are we meeting her or are we just telling her to shove it?” 

“I’ll let you decide. You’re the one she really wants to talk to.” 

Andy looked thoughtful, “I guess let’s see what she has to say.”

Tsukasa looked at Kiba. “Put her in the conference room.”

The wolf nodded, exiting the room.

“I..should be there too.” Tet’s voice was tired. His eyes cracked open and he attempted to sit up.

“Don’t worry about it, just rest,” Andy said gently.

He reached for her hand, fear in his eyes. “Please be careful.”

She squeezed his hand, “I will.”

He nodded once, his eyes closing.

Tsukasa took a deep breath, then looked at her. “Shall we?”

Andy nodded, “Let’s go.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tabitha Xalman calmly sat at the table, her hands clasped in front of her. She wore her dark hair in a bun on her head, glasses perched on her nose like a schoolteacher. “Colonel.” Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed Andy. “You don’t look impressive.” She waved a hand at her dismissively.

Andy rolled her eyes but stayed silent.

Tabitha resumed speaking to Tsukasa. “The Council requests that you turn her over to their authority.”

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow silently.

“Why does the Council want me?” Andy wondered, trying to get any information on Seltain.

“You’re a danger to us all, being untrained. Seltain wishes to remedy that and take you as an apprentice.” She glared at Tsukasa as he covered a snort with a cough.

“You just said I don’t look impressive. Pretty sure that means I can’t do very much, right?” Andy snarked back.

“I don’t think so, but Master Seltain says otherwise.” Tabitha replied with a snarl. “You should be more appreciative.”

Tsukasa rolled his eyes. “Pretty sure we’re done here. You’ve made your case, I’ve considered your request. The answer is no.”

Andy watched, preparing herself in case Tabitha decided to attack them.

“This squad is allowed at the discretion of the Council. Are you really going to jeopardize it?”

Now it was Tsukasa’s turn to snarl. “This squad has already been jeopardized by someone putting a kill order out. I wonder who that might have been?” The question was pointedly aimed at the witch, who huffed.

“If you don’t turn her over, I can’t guarantee what might happen.”

Tsukasa’s eyes began to glow red, smoke escaping his nose. “First of all, Andy is not under my command, so I can’t order her to do _anything._ Second of all, you **dare** threaten me and my men? You had better leave before you become a charcoal briquet.” 

Andy gave a small smirk at his comment.

Tabitha’s face went red as she spluttered angrily. Then she stood and pointed at Andy. “Master Seltain will just have to come get you himself. You will learn that making him angry is not wise.” She muttered a few words and disappeared.

“What a _fucking_ bitch.” Tsukasa struggled to regain his composure.

Andy nodded, “What now?”

“Prepare for war.” He turned to Kiba, who’d remained silent throughout the whole affair. “Put everyone on alert for witches and porters. They’ll no doubt try to sneak in first.”

Kiba nodded, lifting his radio and speaking quickly into it. After a few minutes, he gave the news that everyone was ready.

The dragon gave a sympathetic look to Andy. “I’m sorry about all this.”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry for causing any extra trouble for your team.”

He chuckled. “Trouble? You? All I see is someone who’s been consistently saving our asses being threatened by a lunatic that we may not be able to protect her from.”

She sighed, “Thank you.”

“What’s your plan? We’re on alert, but if porters get through..” Kiba was frowning. “I’d be less worried if Tet was up.”

“I’ll look and see if I can find any spells that will help. It’d be nice to make a barrier for the whole place but I’m not sure how to make one that big.. but I can at least make some little ones.”

Tsukasa nodded, waving Kiba out the door. “Are you as afraid as I am?”

Andy frowned, “I’m not sure. I’m worried, but that’s how I’ve been feeling the whole last week since I learned about all of this stuff. I’m probably still in a bit of shock over it all.”

His lips quirked up. “To be honest, my fear is of Tet. If I lose you, he might very well kill me.” He gave a sigh, then stood. “Why don’t you go see him while there’s still peace.”

She nodded, “Alright.” She headed out and headed to her bedroom where Tet had been resting.

“Andy? What’s wrong?” He was awake, his dark eyes locking on hers.

She gave him a small smile before looking down, “There’s likely to be a war. She said Seltain would have to come after me himself..”

Tet shot up, his teeth bared in a snarl. “Let him try. I’ll rip his throat out!” His breathing was rapid, his eyes turning gold as she watched.

Andy sighed, “Calm down.” She went and grabbed her book and started looking through it.

After a few minutes, Tet began to laugh softly.

She looked over and raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“A week ago you were terrified at the sight of a hound. Today, you basically flipped off one of the strongest witches in existence. And you’re telling _me_ to calm down like he is just a minor life annoyance.” His eyes twinkled, his grin bright. “You’re freaking amazing.” 

She chuckled, “I’m not sure reality is really hitting me yet, you know?”

“Does that mean I’ll have to keep some smelling salts on me for when you inevitably pass out?” He teased gently.

She gave a small smile. “How are you feeling?”

He sombered. “Tired, but not ill. Did you discover something?” He moved to her side, taking her hand.

“I made a spell and created a magical seal. Basically it’s a longer lasting spell, though I’m not sure if it lasts forever or just as long as I’m alive? It’s the first seal I’ve done so..”

“I’ll take it, whether it lasts twenty years or for only one hour. I love you, Andy.”

She gave a soft smile, “We only really met a week ago, how can you be so sure you love me if you barely know me?”

He returned the smile, kissing her hand. “I can’t explain it. Just everything in me is at peace with you. Like I had a missing piece and didn’t know it until I saw you.” He shrugged in confusion.

She kissed his cheek, “I feel peaceful around you too.” 

A sudden explosion broke the moment. Tet growled as his radio crackled to life.

“Witches and shifters incoming!” Yoshi’s voice was calm amid the noise. “No sign of porters yet. Defensive positions on the main barracks. Tet, if you’re up, protect Andy.”

Tet acknowledged, standing between her and the door.

Andy stood, reciting a spell. Soon a shimmering barrier surrounded the room. “This should give us some protection.”

He gave her a nod, his posture tense as the sounds of battle grew closer. The door blew open, bouncing off the barrier as Tabitha flew in. She gave a sneer as she realized what Andy had done. “So you can create barriers? A child can do that.” She began to mutter, but broke off with a gasp as a clawed hand emerged through her chest. She coughed, then her eyes closed and she dropped to the floor. Zal appeared, his hand resuming normal shape as he gave a dark chuckle. “You two okay?

Tet grinned. “We are now. What’s happening?”

The vampire scowled. “Witchfire hurts like a bastard. But last I saw, they were beginning to retreat.” He glanced at Andy. “The Colonel is leery of asking you to help after last time.”

Tet whirled to look at her. “What happened last time?”

Andy winced before chuckling nervously “Are we talking about me getting too exhausted or saving someone on the wrong side?”

“ ** _What_**?” Tet’s eyes went wide.

Zal sighed. “Pretty sure it was the exhaustion he was worried about.”

“I hadn’t really slept so I’m sure that didn’t help.”

Tet made an exasperated noise. “What am I going to do with you?”

Zal laughed at him. “You wanted her, now you’re stuck. Have fun.” The vampire glided out of the room.

Andy gave a small chuckle before sighing. She glanced at the barrier making sure it was still strong before sitting down again.

Tet kept watching the door. His radio crackled again, Kiba’s voice pained. “Stand down. Enemy is in full retreat.” 

Tet sighed, sitting on the bed tiredly.

“Why don’t you get some more rest? I’m going to go to the infirmary to help out.”

He gave her a small smile as he put the radio on the floor. “Don’t wear yourself out, okay?”

“I’ll try,” she nodded before heading out of the room.

The infirmary was quiet when she entered. Several beds were occupied, Kaito and Zal bandaging injuries. Jack was standing guard in front of a door which was being opened occasionally by Kiba and a tall man who she remembered vaguely. They were carrying in black zippered bags.

Andy watched for a moment before going to Zal, “Any serious injuries you need help with?”

“Ryusei is bringing Kenji in. He’s critical. Other than that, injuries were minor.”

Bells heralded the porter, his arms full of a small leopard. Its fur was charred, the burns extensive. As she watched, it shifted into a small blond, barely breathing.

Andy went to him and helped get the blond on a bed. She checked him over and started reciting spells and cleaning him up.

The porter sat down, rubbing his hand through his hair. “We were lucky.”

“We didn’t lose anyone, did we?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Kiba emerged from the room, nodding to Jack. “Colonel’s orders. He didn’t want you exhausting yourself.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “I’d rather do what I can to help and risk getting exhausted than not do anything at all.”

Kiba glared at her, his eyes blinking rapidly. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, he collapsed to the floor.

Andy cursed and moved to get him into a bed before checking what was wrong.

A gash in his side bled sluggishly, a nasty looking burn surrounding it.

She started cleaning the gash then recited a spell, watching it close up. She bandaged the partially healed burn, making sure it wouldn’t get infected. 

When she was done, she glanced at Jack, “Seriously, how many did we lose?”

“Six, including the Colonel.” Jack’s voice was quiet.

Andy nodded, “I’m going to help them.”

He gave her a sad smile, opening the door.

Andy headed in, unzipping the bags and looking everyone over. She spent a while healing up wounds before she focused on them all at once. All six bodies started glowing, and she concentrated until each started breathing again.

Jack entered behind her, waiting for instructions.

She glanced at him, “Get them all into real beds in the main infirmary, please. They should be alright now.” She took a deep breath before heading out to check on Kiba again.

The wolf was still unconscious, his breathing stable.

Kaito helped Jack with the formerly dead, getting them comfortable. He gave Andy a small smile as he spoke to Jack in low tones. The vampire scowled as Zal’s name was mentioned, then he nodded. 

The aide sat down as Jack left the room.

“Is everything okay?” Andy approached slowly.

“Just an obstinate injured vampire. He tussled with a witch and a shifter at the same time. Wouldn’t let me look him over. He said he’d be fine with some blood and sleep, but I don’t buy it.”

Andy nodded, “Well, I can help heal him if he needs it.”

Kaito chuckled. “I sent Jack to drag his ass back here.” He looked up as the vampire returned alone. 

Jack looked worried, his eyes desperate. “Andy, are you alright to look at Zal? I think he’s dying..”

“Lead the way.”

He turned and led her down a corridor to a door, opening it quickly to reveal a shirtless Zal. The vampire was unconscious, his breathing labored. The right side of his chest had a stab wound, his lower abdomen slashed. His left arm was charred black.

Andy stitched up the open wounds before using the healing spell to further close them. She looked the burn over carefully, then said a different spell. It glowed for a minute, revealing fresh skin when the green light faded. She checked him over for any other wounds before looking at Jack, “He should be alright now, but we still need to keep an eye on him just in case.”

Jack nodded, lifting the other man and heading for the infirmary.

Kaito met them, trying unsuccessfully to stop cursing. “I wish I could have killed that bitch myself..”

“At least she’s gone, right?” Andy frowned for a moment, “What do you guys do, burn the bodies or something? Just wouldn’t want them coming back again, right?”

“In this case, do you think you could revive her?” Daiki’s hands were clenched tight and he kept sending glances toward Tsukasa.

“I’m not reviving someone just for you to kill her again.”

“I think she cursed some of them.” He led her to the officer’s side, revealing him to be sweating and moaning in pain. “Ryon and Taka are exhibiting similar symptoms. Unless you can break it?”

Ryusei appeared, holding Tet. The tiger was showing all the signs as well.

Andy took a deep breath, “Let me go check my book for curses and curse breaking..”

Kaito helped lay Tet down with a frown. “This is bad so soon after his collapse.”

Andy rushed down the hallway to her room, searching for any passages in the book that could help. She finally found something possibly useful and started back to the infirmary.

Jack was trying to keep Tsukasa still as he convulsed violently. Kaito was holding his head in his hands.

Andy went to his side, closing her eyes and focusing for a few moments before reciting a new spell. She went and did the same to the others and prayed it worked right.

Tsukasa immediately stilled, his breathing stabilizing. Jack touched his face. “The fever’s broken.”

Ryon and Taka’s symptoms also disappeared, both of them going quiet.

Andy went to Tet’s side to see if he showed any improvement.

He was deathly pale, his breathing extremely slow. The fever had broken, but the strain on his body was becoming too much.

Andy said a healing spell, hoping it would help a bit. She ran a hand through his hair gently as she watched him and tried to think of anything else she could do to help.

Jack handed her a vial. “Give him this. It might help.”

“I have no idea how that’ll interact with the spell seal I placed on him..”

He nodded quietly in understanding.

Tet’s breathing hitched, then stopped altogether. He lay unmoving and Jack hung his head.

Andy focused for a moment, gold light appearing. It was a bit more of a struggle than usual but eventually she got him to suck in air again.

There was silence for a moment, then Ryusei appeared. He was holding an envelope and he extended it. “Addressed to you, Andy. From Seltain.”

Andy opened it and read it over quickly. She took a deep breath as she read it over again before pocketing it. She knew what she had to do now, but did she have the courage?

She kissed Tet’s forehead before heading toward the door to the hall. She started toward her room, trying to come up with an exact plan. 

Kaito’s eyes narrowed and he followed her. “Care to share what Seltain wants?”

Andy sighed, “He says he wants to teach me and help me grow my power. Basically everything Tabitha said.”

Kaito snorted. “More like either control your powers or strip them from you. Are you going to send a short message back? Like ‘kindly fuck off you egotistical dickwad’?”

Andy shrugged, “Haven’t figured out what to say yet but I think that would piss him off more.”

Kaito chuckled. “Like I give a shit.” He tilted his head, staring at her. “Wait a minute..Andy, you’re not _actually_ thinking he’ll keep his word, are you!?” His voice was stressed as he shook his head. “He’ll either kill you or make you wish you were!”

“I don’t know what to think!” Andy snapped. “The whole last week has been one thing after another and all I know is this guy is after me and everyone around me keeps getting hurt. I don’t want people to keep getting hurt.” She headed down the hall to her room and slammed the door shut.

Kaito swore, spinning on his heel and heading back to the infirmary. He looked at Jack. “I want an around the clock watch on her. I think she’s going to try to trade herself for us.” 

Ryusei frowned. “We’ll keep an eye on her. The porters can grab her faster if she tries to leave.”

The aide nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Agreed. I’ve got to report to the bigwigs. Keep me in the loop about her and them.”

Jack nodded, watching him head down the hall. He turned to the porter. “You’re on guard duty. In four hours, I’ll get someone to relieve you.”

Ryusei saluted and disappeared, materializing outside Andy’s door. He leaned on it and settled in.

Andy paced the floor, trying to figure out what she should do. She didn’t want the others mad at her, but she’d rather them be safe than mad. Seltain offered them safety and freedom as long as she came willingly. She’s already learned a lot in the last week, could she learn enough to overpower him if he tried to control her? What about if she was dead? That wouldn’t get the others to safety but if her body was destroyed enough, maybe Seltain couldn’t revive her and he wouldn’t get her powers. 

Her thoughts kept circling around, going every which direction, unsure what she should be choosing. 

Finally, she sat down and wrote a small note to Tet and setting it on her book for him to find. She read over the letter again, which included a teleportation spell. She focused on her home where a porter would be to take her to Seltain, and she recited the spell.

She felt a rush of air and then found herself in her living room. 

A man stood there, lifting his arm for her to take and then they teleported off to Seltain’s hideout.


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m going to kick her ass up and down the city!” Tet paced Tsukasa’s office, barely in control. 

Kiba grimaced as he watched his friend struggle with his shift.

Tsukasa merely raised an eyebrow. “When you’re done, can we plan her rescue?”

Tet growled warningly. “ **I** am rescuing her, not you guys.”

Kiba’s eyes flashed. “She did this for  _ all  _ of us you idiot! You think we’re going to let you commit suicide alone?”

Tet paused, his voice low. “Sorry. I just can’t stand the idea of her in his clutches.”

Tsukasa stood, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Neither can I. So why don’t we go get her?”

Tet slowly nodded.

  
  


“Good to see you made the right choice,” a deep voice greeted Andy upon arrival. She looked around and finally noticed an older looking man sitting on what appeared to be a large throne. “Your friends will be safe.”

Andy nodded slowly as she looked around the room. The porter that brought her there had now disappeared and she noticed large pillars lining the room.

“Come, you’re my apprentice now, you can sit beside me,” he motioned to a chair to his side. 

She approached slowly and sat in it, unsure what to expect. The old man rambled for a while about all he could teach her and how he looked forward to it.

Soon, she was shown to a room, but she couldn’t bring herself to sleep. She wished she’d brought her book to read. 

Come morning, training started early, multiple spells being taught one after another. She was starting to get worn out, and messed up a spell. She’d been receiving smiles from the old man up until that point but as soon as she misspoke, he frowned, giving her a disappointed look. After she messed up once more, she was quickly backhanded. She looked up from where she’d fallen to the floor, surprised an old man had such strength.

He sighed, trying to push his anger away, “Let’s take a break. Maybe afterward you’ll get it right.”

  
  


The squad was rechecking their weapons as Tsukasa entered with a frown. 

Tet looked at him, eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“The Council has reformed. They are trying to forbid us from rescuing Andy.” The dragon scowled.

“Fuck them. Probably kissing Seltain’s ass.” Kiba racked his pistol as the rest of them nodded.

“They’ll disband you, maybe court martial.” Tsukasa gazed at his squad.

“They already have the kill order. What else can they scare us with?” Zal side eyed Tet. “I agree with Kiba. She’s done more for us than the Council ever has, so fuck them. Let’s go get her and end him.”

Tsukasa chuckled as he started getting ready.

  
  


When they got back to work, Andy mastered even more spells, working through the growing exhaustion. 

“The key is memorizing them all, once you can remember them, you can use them later,” the man spoke from his spot near the table.

Andy nodded, taking notes in a new journal she was given. 

“Let’s see what you’ve memorized,” he stood, starting to quiz her. When she forgot a spell, it earned her another slap, this time though she was expecting it, holding herself against the table so she wouldn’t fall over. 

She felt the pain in her cheek, and she wondered if tomorrow would be more of the same. 

Heading back toward her room, she knew she should stay awake in case she was attacked but the exhaustion washed over her and she fell asleep hugging her journal close.

  
  


Tet checked his map, flashlight between his teeth. Nodding, he clicked it off and kept moving. His eyes blurred from lack of sleep, his stomach rumbled from the lack of food. He ignored both, focusing on saving the person who had become his world. He could eat and sleep when she was safely in his arms again.

His eyes glowed as he saw Seltain’s hideout. Seeing an open window, the tiger climbed cautiously inside. He began to creep deeper into the room. He froze as his ears picked up voices. He whirled as lights suddenly illuminated him and a hypodermic dart stung his neck. “Sleep well, interloper. Because when you wake, you’ll wish you hadn’t.” 

Tet growled, his movements sluggish. Finally he fell, lying still at Seltain’s feet.

  
  


Andy woke, heading out to the main room, wondering what she’d learn today. Her cheek was now bruised, but it wasn’t as sore as the day before. 

“The plans for today have been changed a little. We’ll still be working on your spells but we’ll also be working on your necromancy.” Seltain gave an evil grin. “Your friends have come after you, it seems. What better way to test your skills than on real living subjects? If you pass everything today and they survive by the end of the day, I’ll release them. I can’t promise not to pick them up again though if they try to take you again.”

Andy stared up at him in shock and confusion. Hadn’t she made it clear in her letter for them not to come after her?

Soon, four beds were rolled in, a man chained up in each one. She looked them over, heart sinking as she recognized them as Tet, Kiba, Yamae, and Kai.

Yamae was the only one awake and he gave her a small smile. “Are we having fun yet?”

She sighed, wanting to yell at them for coming, but she just looked over at Seltain, awaiting orders.

The first spell she had to use was on Kai, fire danced across his skin, the smell of burning flesh thick in the air. Her eyes filled with tears, praying she could heal him and bring him back.

She finally put out the fire using another spell which brought water splashing down upon him. She then focused, the gold light surrounding him as she recited all the healing spells she could think of. It looked like a rainbow around him as the magics all did their different jobs.

She then moved on to Yamae, refusing to meet his eyes.

He softly spoke. “No blame except him. Remember that.”

Andy cringed when she recognized the spell Seltain ordered her to use. It would lead to a very painful death. She took a deep breath, reciting the spell and waiting to see what would happen.

Yamae gritted his teeth as pain roared through him, refusing to give Seltain the satisfaction. But soon the feelings overwhelmed him and he let out a scream. Unbelievably, the pain grew more intense, the feeling of his blood being on fire driving him to writhe on the bed and scream until his voice failed. Suddenly he inhaled sharply, then went limp.

Andy tried to control herself, knowing if she cried too much it could cause Seltain to grow angry. 

Kiba growled, pulling at the chains. “I’m going to kill you, Seltain!”

Andy focused on Yamae, the gold light soon surrounding him. Eventually he sucked in a breath and then his breathing evened out and the light faded away.

“Good job,” Seltain gave a small clap. Andy went to Kiba, praying whatever spell she had to use wasn’t as bad as the last.

She whispered a small, “Sorry,” to Kiba before waiting for her orders.

Andy recited the spell that Seltain gave her then waited again.

His skin began to split apart, blood cascading over the bed. Kiba’s eyes went wide before becoming glassy and finally closing.

Andy stared in horror, too shocked for tears to come out. When she finally pulled herself together, she focused on healing the split and rebuilding new blood before reviving him. She felt herself growing weaker as she worked but she continued on, refusing to give up on them.

Finally when she was done, she went to Tet’s side, looking down at him.

She said the spell given to her and watched in horror at the sight before her.

Skin began peeling off Tet’s body, leaving the muscle raw and bleeding. Then his chest opened up, exposing his lungs and heart.

Tet’s eyes opened, pain glazing them. He caught Andy’s eyes, whispering “I love you” before his heart was crushed in front of her. He stiffened, blood streaming from his lips. Then his eyes slid closed.

Andy sobbed and looked away, until Seltain grabbed her head and pointed it back at Tet, “Look what your power can do!”

She shook him off, taking a few panicky breaths before nodding and going to heal Tet. It took hours to put everything back together, and she wondered if she’d have the energy to actually revive him.

She focused her mind on bringing him back, the gold light appearing weakly around him. She pushed her energy harder, strengthening the light. Eventually, he sucked in air and his heart went back to beating a steady rhythm. She leaned heavily on the bed, looking at the four men.

“You know, even if I release them, they’re going to come back and get hurt again. Maybe we should keep them as pets, and you can care for them,” Seltain laughed coldly.

Andy sighed, “What should I do with them?”

“Do what you wish, but remember they’ll only stay safe if you stay here as my apprentice.”

Andy nodded, wheeling the beds out into another room. She sat beside them, trying to push the horrors from her mind.

“Andy? Unchain us and let’s get the fuck out of here.” Kiba’s eyes glittered as he tried once again to get free.

Andy unchained them all, but stayed silent.

Tet embraced her, his eyes wet. “I’m so glad you’re not hurt.”

Yamae looked at Tet, then reached for her arm. “Hold on. We’ll be at HQ in seconds. You’ll be safe.”

“I’m trying to keep you guys safe. The only reason you got hurt was because you came after me,” Andy answered, refusing to meet their eyes.

Tet shook his head. “He was going to hurt us anyway. He’s behind the kill order. Boss found out the truth. No blaming yourself or anyone but him. The rest of the squad are outside waiting for my signal to set fire to this place.”

“Simple fire won’t stop him..” 

“It’ll slow his ass down. Then we can kill him for good.” Kiba growled.

Tet nodded. “You are getting out of here. I got a spell that should slow Seltain down from one of the Council. I’m going to spoil his day.” His smile was feral, canines glinting in the light.

Andy sighed, “Promise you guys won’t get hurt?”

“You and them are leaving. I’m going to say the spell, then get the hell out. Don’t worry.” Tet kissed her gently. “Now let Yamae take you to Boss.”

He released her, nodding to Yamae.

The porter took hold of her arm and disappeared with the rest of the men.

Andy swayed slightly as they arrived at their destination, eyes blurring from exhaustion.

Tsukasa steadied her, making her sit down. “Rest, Andy.” The dragon’s eyes were worried as he watched her.

She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. She was quiet as she stared at the floor, trying to process everything that’d happened. She wanted more than anything to just be back at home in her own bed, sleeping to go to work at the clinic the next day, but she knew that was impossible, at least while Seltain was out after her. And he was going to be angry now. She feared what would happen to the others now. Her eyebrows creased in thought and worry as she continued to stare at the floor. 

The rest of the men were dismissed as Tsukasa sat down at his desk. His eyes kept darting to his radio, his forehead creasing.

  
  


Tet stared at the piece of paper, memorizing the spell before creeping into the throne room and hiding. His eyesight went red when the necromancer entered and he took a deep breath to focus himself.

Seltain was followed by a few people, who he angrily shot spells at. He sat down at his throne, looking at the bodies now on the floor.

Tet fought a smile. If Seltain was pissed now, wait until this spell knocked him on his ass. He quickly stood, his lips already reciting the spell as he met Seltain’s eyes.

Seltain stood, starting to speak a spell of his own.

Tet’s eyes widened as his throat closed, the words dying in the air. He tried to suck in a breath, but found he couldn’t.

Seltain laughed coldly, “You thought you could get her to freedom and then take me out too? I  _ will  _ get her back.”

  
  


Andy frowned, finally looking up from the floor, “Shouldn’t Tet be back by now?”

Tsukasa cursed. “Don’t  _ even _ think it. We just got you back, you are  _ not _ going back there.”

“I’m just trying to be helpful. I’ve learned a lot the last couple days that could help.”

“Fine. Kiba and Ryusei will go with you. You listen to them, you hear? If they tell you to run you fucking run got it?”

Andy nodded, “Alright.”

He called the two men in, explaining the situation.

Kiba sent her a death glare. “You are insane, you know that?”

She shrugged, “We need to see if Tet’s alright and help take Seltain out. I don’t see what’s insane about wanting to help.”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s not the insane part. Wanting to confront a lunatic necro is.”

“Just find Tet.” Tsukasa growled. “If need be, we can fight Seltain another day.”

Ryusei grabbed her and Kiba’s arms, then focused and disappeared.

Andy found herself back in Seltain’s hideout and headed into the hallway toward the throne room.

Screams began echoing through the hall and both men looked sick.

Andy ran toward the noise, entering to find out what was happening.

Tet hung from chains between two pillars. He’d been beaten, his face swollen. There was bruising around his throat. There was a sluggishly bleeding gash on his temple. His eyes were gold, but his shift hadn’t happened.

He screamed again as Seltain raised a hand toward his head. He writhed in pain as the witch recited a spell.

Andy recited one of the killing spells she’d been taught, directing it toward Seltain.

Seltain stopped his speaking, looking over at Andy. He started muttering a spell at her but soon stopped again as he started feeling pain throughout his body.

Tet sagged, his body going limp. His breathing was erratic, his chest rising and falling slowly.

Seltain scowled, rushing toward his throne. He fell, clutching his chest.

Andy approached Tet, freeing him from the chains and gently laying him on the floor. She cradled his head as she recited healing spells, trying to get his breathing back to a normal rhythm.

When Andy looked up, she noticed Seltain was gone. She had hoped she would have killed him, but at least they rescued Tet. She then looked over at Kiba and Ryusei who were just finishing up beating Seltain’s guards.

They came to her side as Tet’s eyes blinked open. He gave her a soft smile, then they closed and he sagged in her arms.

Andy looked him over, confused. She tried focusing her spells on him, and even getting the gold light around him but nothing was happening. She let out a sob as the gold light faded away, having not revived him.

Kiba let out a strangled cry as Ryusei hung his head before encircling them and focusing.

Andy didn’t even pay attention to the change of location, trying once again to get the gold light around Tet. Once more it did nothing, fading away and making her cry harder. 

Hands began to move Tet away from her.

“Just let me keep trying,” Andy begged, swaying as she tried to get up.

“You’re too weak. You’ll just end up joining him.” Tsukasa spoke softly to her as he pried her arms loose, allowing Ryusei and Jack to lift Tet’s body. They gently carried him from the room. Tsukasa looked at Kiba. “Probably should sedate her while he’s taken care of.”

Andy was going to argue but the exhaustion washed over her, making her reach for the chair to steady herself.

She pushed herself to the door, heading out into the hallway and toward her room. Thoughts of Seltain crossed her mind and she vowed to take him down to avenge Tet.

Jack gently washed Tet’s face, then dressed him in his uniform. He brushed his hair, then pushed the bed into the morgue. Tsukasa would make arrangements, since Tet’s father was estranged from him. 

Andy collapsed on her bed, trying to figure out why the revival didn’t work. She then grabbed her book and looked something up. After reciting a few words and focusing for a minute, a silvery white figure appeared in front of her. 

“Andy, is that you? Have your powers finally awakened?”

“Yeah Dad, it’s me,” Andy said quietly. 

“What’s wrong?” His voice was gentle, reminding her of when he would take care of her when she had nightmares.

“A lot of things, honestly,” she adjusted into a better position before sighing, “Other than Seltain coming after me and I’m still trying to figure all of this out since I’ve only known for about a week and a half now.. My friend died and no matter what I did, I couldn’t bring him back. I don’t know what Seltain did to him but he just won’t revive.”

“I’m sorry for hiding everything from you. Your mother was terrified that Seltain would sense if we tried to train you. As for your friend, is he human?”

“He’s a shifter.. well, a shifter vampire hybrid? It’s complicated, I guess.” She frowned.

“Seltain was no doubt trying to control him. I need to know, what did his eyes look like? Were they shifter or vampire? Vampires glow red when they lose control.”

She tried to remember, “They were gold, like his shift.”

“Seltain was trying to activate his animal instincts without his shift. Easy way to control them and make them murderous. You must fix that separation before reviving him. Otherwise he will come back a killer.”

Andy was quiet for a moment before asking, “How do I fix it?”

“Page 300. I have to go, Andy. Don’t give in to Seltain. And don’t be afraid of your powers. It’s a gift, not a curse.” The figure shimmered, then vanished.

A tear fell onto her cheek as she wished she had more time with him.

She went to the book and looked over page 300, memorizing the spell on it. She then stood, fighting the exhaustion as she made her way to the morgue.

The infirmary was empty due to the late hour. The morgue was unlocked, only one bed sitting covered.

She approached the bed slowly, uncovering him. She stared at him for a moment before reciting the spell and watching a light shine around him. When it faded, she did her normal revival process, the gold light appearing. She prayed this time it did something. 

He began to breathe, slowly at first. Then it stabilized and his eyes blinked open. He focused on Andy and tears trickled down his cheeks. “You’re safe?”

She nodded, “Seltain’s still out there and will be coming back after me, but for the time being I’m safe.”

“Thank God. I was afraid he was going to twist your mind..” His voice was sleepy, his eyes struggling to stay open.

“Why don’t you rest some more?” Andy suggested softly.

“Don’t leave me?” He blinked at her, looking like a lost child.

“I’ll stay right by you, alright?” She stood and pushed the bed out into the main infirmary, curling up in the chair next to his bed. 

He gave her a smile before falling asleep.

Andy soon fell asleep as she watched his chest rising and falling.

Tsukasa entered the infirmary, stopping in shock as he saw the scene. He stared for a moment, then shook his head with a relieved smile. “Thank God.” He whispered under his breath.

Andy stretched out as she woke, slowly opening her eyes and glancing at Tet to make sure he was still breathing.

His eyes blinked open, a smile spreading as he saw her.

She gave him a smile in response, “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Slightly vengeful.” He chuckled.

Tsukasa struggled to hide a smile. “What now?”

Andy looked up at him, “Well, Seltain will be back, so we need to make a plan to fight him. Any ideas?”

“We’re being stuck between a rock and a hard place. He’s too powerful for us ordinary people to fight, plus we still have the kill order over our heads. You’re not experienced enough to take him on by yourself and we aren’t going to get any help from the Council because they’re all  _ assholes _ .” Tsukasa sat down heavily, running a hand through his hair wearily. 

“So basically I need to become stronger as fast as possible,” Andy sighed.

Tet sat up. “How are you going to do that with no one to train you?”

“Well, I have the spells I learned from Seltain to practice, I still have more spells in the book I haven’t used, and maybe I can contact my dad again for ideas,” she looked thoughtful.

“What do you mean  _ again _ ?” Tet stared at her quietly.

“Well, you know necromancers can talk to the dead, right? I was having trouble reviving you so I talked to him for help..”

Tet and Tsukasa exchanged glances, then Tet spoke. “Guess that explains the uniform.”

“I kept trying to revive you but nothing was happening.. but he told me about a spell that helped fix what Seltain did and then the revival worked..”

Tet kissed her quickly, then got off the bed. “I’m going to change real quick. We should have a meeting.”

Tsukasa nodded. “I’ll convene it as soon as you’re ready.”

The radio suddenly came to life, Kiba’s panicked voice speaking rapidly. “Intruders on base! Several of us are down!”

Tsukasa grabbed it. “What’s going on?”

“No clue. We can’t see any--” There was a sharp inhale, then a gurgling sound and the radio went silent.

Andy stood, “I can create a barrier and we can head out there to see what’s going on.”

Tsukasa nodded as Tet ran for his room. Seconds later, he was back dressed in a blacksuit.

“Sounds like an invisibility spell.” He buckled on his holsters, several pistols already inside.

Andy thought quickly, “I think I know a spell that could cancel the invisibility out. Let’s get out there and I’ll try it.”

Tet grabbed her hand, racing for the door. They headed toward Kiba’s last known position, finding him face down in a puddle of blood from a slit throat.

Tet growled, his eyes flashing.

Andy set up a barrier before reciting the spell to cancel out the invisibility. She looked around, still not seeing anyone, before she knelt beside Kiba and started healing him.

Several gunshots were heard, then Kenji’s voice came over the radio. “Intruder down.”

Andy looked up, about to speak when she heard a voice. It took a moment to realize it was Seltain and it was coming from inside her head. 

“The longer you avoid me, the more you’ll have to keep watching your friends die. How many more times can you handle it before it breaks you?”

Andy growled, “Shut up!”

“You should have just stayed with me, and they would have been safer.” It was quiet a moment before the voice returned, “I’ll find you, no matter how many times I have to kill your friends to get to you.” 

“I said shut up!” Andy shook her head, breathing heavily.

“Andy? You okay?” Tet’s eyes narrowed at her outbursts.

Andy took a deep breath, looking back down toward the ground. After realizing the voice was gone, she nodded slowly, “I’m fine.”

Tet didn’t look convinced, but he dropped the subject. Touching his radio, he ordered both their casualties and the attacker to the infirmary. Then he looked at her. “Is he revivable?”

Andy looked back at Kiba, remembering she had been trying to heal him. She nodded, “Yeah. He’s almost healed up now. Let’s take him in and I’ll take care of it.”

Tet knelt, hefting Kiba’s limp form and heading for the infirmary.

Four beds were occupied, a fifth being pushed by Daiki into the morgue.

Andy went and got supplies, starting to clean everyone and healing them. She kept trying to focus but the thought of Seltain in her head kept distracting her.

Tsukasa gently touched her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Sorry, I’m fine,” she nodded, knowing her voice didn’t sound convincing.

He gave her the same look Tet had, but also dropped it as Ryusei teleported in, his face panicked. “Shouma’s missing..”

Tet swore as Tsukasa asked. “You’ve looked everywhere?”

The porter nodded anxiously.

Andy was trying to think of ideas where he could be but heard Seltain in her mind again, “We have one of your friends. He’ll remain unharmed if you come back to me.”

“He wants to trade,” Andy whispered, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

Tet growled menacingly. “When I get my hands on him, there won’t be enough left to revive.”

Andy stayed silent, half waiting for Seltain to speak again.

Tsukasa sighed. “Do you think he’ll keep his word?”

Tet glared at the officer. “No way in hell is she going back to him! We can rescue Shouma without endangering her.”

“You need me to become stronger, and I don’t have a teacher. Even if his goals are evil, I can learn from him..” Andy sighed. “Plus, I don’t want to keep being the reason your friends are hurt or taken.”

  
  


Tet looked at her, his eyes beseeching. “Don’t do this. Please don’t do this.”

Tears filled her eyes, “What else am I supposed to do?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He stared down at the floor for a moment, then raised his eyes. “I have a request before you do this..”

She wiped at her eyes, “Okay, what is it?”

“Kill me, so I won’t have to know he twisted you when the inevitable happens. Let me die while you’re still the woman I love.” He handed her a pistol, settling it against his chest.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, “You know I can’t do that.” She was quiet for a moment, “Do you really not believe I can fight him? Because then I might as well just kill myself so he can’t use me.”

“I believe you  **will** fight him tooth and nail. You’ll resist with everything in you. But he’s over 1000 years old and I fear he will wear you down until he controls you body and mind. And I can’t stand the thought that someday I may have to fight you…” He was shaking, tears filling his eyes. “I couldn’t live with that..”

“And you think I can live knowing I killed you?!” She moved the gun away from him. “If he controls me, I need people I trust to take me out.” She shook her head, tears still running down her face. “If it’s really inevitable that he’s going to take me over, the only thing to do is to prevent him from getting to me. You don’t want to end up fighting me? Kill me. Make sure my body is unrevivable. Then he can’t use me or my power.”

A cloud of smoke circled Tsukasa warningly. “The only one dying is Seltain.”

Tet picked the gun up, replacing it in the holster. “If he controls you, you won’t remember me. I’m going to rescue Shouma and kill that bastard.  **Alone** . Don’t  _ any _ of you come after me or I won’t be friendly.” He shifted, his gold eyes staring into Andy’s before he raced out of the infirmary.

Andy let out a sob, quickly wiping at her eyes, trying to figure out what to do.

Tsukasa blew more smoke before calming himself. “Andy, work on our casualties. I’m going to try to map out a plan for rescuing Shouma and your idiot. Hopefully before anything happens.” He motioned to Daiki and they headed out of the infirmary.

It took her awhile but Andy finished healing and reviving them. She sat and watched them, praying Tet would be alright.

  
  


Tet shifted to human form as he approached Seltain’s fortress. He avoided the guards, slipping into an unlocked window. Creeping through the halls, he tried to figure out where the necromancer would hold a prisoner. Then he found the throne room.

Peeking through the cracked door, the shifter glimpsed Shouma bound and unconscious in a cage near the elaborate chair. No one was visible, so Tet slowly entered. He headed straight for the cage, unlocking the door. “Shouma! Wake up!” He shook the man, rewarded by eyes blinking rapidly.

“Can you shift?” Tet kept watch as the man shakily nodded. “Get out of here then. Now!”

Shouma shifted into a falcon, Tet opening a window and freeing him. “Get back to the base. Tell Boss Seltain won’t be a problem anymore. And give this to Andy.” He tied a message to Shouma’s leg. He watched the shifter disappear, then began laying charges. 

When he was done, he removed the spell scroll and re-memorized it.

The door behind him opened and he began reciting.

Seltain entered, first noticing the cage door open. He looked around and spotted Tet, growling before starting to mutter under his breath.

Tet grimaced, reciting faster and praying the spell worked.

Seltain spoke faster, using a spell to throw Tet into the wall.

Tet shook his head to clear it, resuming the spell. As he reached the end with no effect, he swore and scrambled for his detonator. His hand closed around it, his thumb beginning to depress the button.

Seltain focused, creating a barrier around himself before disappearing from the room entirely.

Tet froze, his thumb rising. ‘Why hadn’t the spell worked?’ He questioned himself as he went looking for the necromancer. He wasn’t going to let him hurt Andy any more.

Shouma weakly stumbled into Tsukasa’s office, holding the message tight in one hand. “Andy..from Tet.” He collapsed at her feet, breathing hard. 

Andy knelt by him and checked him over before opening the note.

_ “Andy, _

_ By the time you read this, Seltain will hopefully be no more. In all likelihood, I will be as well. I just wanted you to know that I loved you from the first time I saw you. No, I’m not going to tell you the circumstances. I vowed to protect you with my life and I certainly hope I have made it safe for you to return to your clinic so you can go on helping people. Be happy and live a long time. I’ll be waiting, forever if need be. _

_ All my love, Tetsuya” _

Andy let out a sob, tears welling in her eyes as she read it. She looked up at Tsukasa, about to speak but she paused, wondering if she could contact Tet like Seltain did to her. She quickly went to her room and searched through the book, finally finding the spell and focusing on Tet,  _ “Can you hear me?” _

_ Tet’s voice was strained. “Andy? Andy, I’m sorry, I failed.” He let out a strangled cry, his breathing heavy. When he was able to talk again, he spoke rapidly. “Tell Boss to remote detonate the explosives. They’re hellfire, so Seltain will hopefully not be able to revive.” _

_ “What’s happening?” _

_ “The spell didn’t work. Probably my fault. He’s trying to control me so he can kill you. Please, detonate the explosives before he can..” He gave a blood curdling scream, then the link went silent. _

Andy ran back to Tsukasa’s office, “Get ready to remote detonate the charges. Detonate them as soon as I get back with Tet. If I’m not back in ten minutes, do it anyway.”

“What the hell? What explosives?” Tsukasa stared at her in shock.

“Ones that Tet set at Seltain’s place.”

Tsukasa face palmed. “I should throw him in the brig and forget about him. What kind of explosives?”

“Hellfire.”

Tsukasa went pale. “My god.. Did he lose his mind?”

Andy sighed, “I need to go rescue him from Seltain.. just get ready, okay?”

The officer nodded. “Do you need back up?”

“Maybe someone to help Tet while I focus on holding off Seltain?”

“Take Jack. He’s our best trained in combat medicine.” Tsukasa raised his radio.

A few minutes later, Jack entered with a first aid bag over his shoulder.

“Alright, ten minutes, let’s go.” 

They appeared in Seltain’s throne room. 

Andy started reciting spells as she focused on Seltain. 

Seltain turned, “Ah, you’ve come back.” He said a quick spell, sending her flying across the room. “Let’s see what you remember.”

She growled, repeating the spell he used and throwing him into a wall before using one of the killing spells on him.

Seltain stumbled, saying another spell which made chains appear snaking their way toward Andy.

Jack slipped into the room, ignoring the battle. His eyes were locked on Tet’s bloody and broken body in the corner. The vampire inhaled sharply as he found a weak pulse. Doing a quick examination, his heart sank as he realized the extent of the shifter’s injuries. He reached for a syringe as Tet gave a whimper of pain.

Andy avoided the chains, saying another killing spell. 

Soon, she felt pain shooting through her. She pushed through it, saying another spell focusing on Seltain.

Once that spell hit, his focus dropped and the pain subsided. She rushed toward Jack and Tet, grabbing onto them before saying the teleportation spell. They appeared in Tsukasa’s office, Andy breathing hard as she released them.

Jack shook his head at Tsukasa’s look, then sadly checked Tet’s pulse. “Maybe five minutes. I’ve given him morphine to kill the pain. His back is broken, but the bastard only did it partially. Not to mention the internal injuries and head trauma.”

Tsukasa growled, setting off the detonator in his hand. “I hope we got him.”

Andy looked down at Tet, “Get him to the infirmary. Let me see what I can do.”

Jack didn’t argue, just lay Tet on a nearby stretcher and left the office. The vampire carefully moved him to a bed, his eyes closing as he could feel the shifter’s pulse fading.

Andy spent the next several hours working on healing Tet. His breathing had long since stopped but she kept working, trying to make sure everything was healed and back to normal before working to revive him.

She swayed, falling back into the nearby chair as the gold light finally surrounded Tet. She blinked slowly, watching for any signs of breathing.

His eyes shot open, gold irises glittering. He started to snarl, claws extended as he jumped at her. He showed no sign of recognition, blindly trying to slash her.

Andy cursed, trying to remember the spell from before. She moved back, putting the bed between them as she recited the spell and prayed it would work to undo what Seltain did.

He stiffened, his eyes going blank for a moment. Then he dropped to the floor like a puppet with the strings cut.

Andy rushed over to him, checking him over before getting him up into the bed. She sat back down, body still rushing with adrenaline. It soon wore off as she took deep breaths and watched him. The exhaustion came back stronger and even though she fought it, she ended up falling asleep.

Jack entered, wrapping a blanket around Andy and moving her to another bed. He checked Tet, shaking his head in disbelief before leaving quietly.

Andy slept fine for awhile but eventually woke up with nightmares of Seltain. She sat up, noticing she was on a bed before glancing over at Tet.

He was still unconscious, his eyes rapidly moving under his lids. As she watched, he sobbed out her name as his hands twitched. Tears poured down his cheeks as he curled into a ball and trembled.

Andy climbed out of bed, walking over to him and gently rubbing his arm, “Tet? Everything is okay.” After not getting a response, she wrapped her arms around him. 

He latched onto her arm, nails digging through her sleeve as he cried.

“Everything is fine,” she whispered softly, trying to calm him. 

His eyes blinked open, focusing slowly. When he recognized her, he raised a hand shakily to her cheek. “Sorry.. I almost killed you. I couldn’t stop..” He sobbed harder, clutching her close. “He was in my head.. He said you were food..”

“It’s alright, everything is okay,” Andy assured.

He shook his head, releasing her. “I can’t fight him.. You’re in worse danger being around me..” He tried to calm his breathing, dropping his eyes and she was startled to see fangs starting to peek through his lips.

Andy sighed, “Safer being with you than Seltain. I trust you, okay?”

He raised his eyes, the red irises pulsing. “Still trust me?”

Tsukasa darted forward, pulling Andy back as Tet hissed. “This is bad.”

“So what do we do?”

“The only other time this happened I only read about in his file. Doctors had to put him in a blood coma for three weeks.” Tsukasa scowled as Tet gave him a sadistic smile and flashed his fangs.

Andy stared at Tet for a minute, trying to think of anything she’d read about that could be helpful. 

Tsukasa glanced at her. “If I can knock him out, will you do the same? I can walk you through it.”

“Let me look through the book before that. But yeah, you should probably knock him out.”

Tsukasa moved almost too fast for her to see, reappearing behind Tet and wrapping an arm around his neck. He squeezed tightly, holding fast as Tet fought violently. After a few minutes, the shifter was unconscious. The dragon laid Tet on the bed, double checking his breathing before stepping away.

Andy looked at the unconscious form for another moment before heading out the door toward her room. 

After an hour of searching and not finding anything, she tried to contact her dad. Closing her eyes and focusing, she thought of him and prayed he could help.

“What is it, Andy?”

“Sorry for needing help again.. That same friend was taken by Seltain again.. He’s now more like a vampire and I can’t find anything in the book to help like the other spell did.” 

The white form shimmered as it frowned. “Vampires are hard to deal with when they are in control. I had little experience healing them because the bloodlust would overwhelm them as they tried to heal. With Seltain manipulating him, there isn’t much I can help with. I’m sorry.” The form vanished somberly.

Andy looked down, staring at the book blankly for a few minutes as she tried to think of anything else to do.

Would a barrier work to keep Seltain out of his head? Could she make a spell to help like she did with his illness? Could she take over control of him? Her mind went in twenty different directions as she pondered the issue.

Eventually, she started making her way back to the infirmary.

Somewhere Tsukasa had found restraints and had tied Tet down. The hybrid was awake now, hissing and threatening bodily harm against him and Jack who was pacing the room.

Andy entered quietly, watching Tet. 

“You came back. Thought you may have run away screaming. Then again, I do like a hearty chase. Builds the appetite.” He grinned at her, licking his lips slowly.

Andy rolled her eyes before glancing at Tsukasa, “What do we know about the process Seltain uses to control people?”

Tsukasa scowled. “Next to nothing. Somehow he invades their mind and forces their instincts into overdrive. For shifters, it’s the hunt. Vampires, the bloodlust that consumes them during their rebirth or severe injury.”

Andy nodded, “So basically, you’d have to shut off that part of their brain..”

Jack spoke, eyes locked on the hybrid. “Problem with that is shutting that down prevents us from being able to find food. Or in Tet’s case, to lock on to smells to locate people.”

Tsukasa sighed. “That’s why we use the blood coma. It appears to reset the instinct to feed. Don’t know how, but it worked five years ago when he lost control the first time.”

“What caused him to lose control that time?”

“His mother was killed and his father came to tell him.” Tsukasa scowled as Jack growled “More like came to rub it in.”

“I guess let’s try it until I can think of anything better,” Andy sighed. 

Tsukasa and Jack exchanged glances. “You might want to leave.”

She frowned, “Why?”

“It’s not a pretty operation.” Tsukasa watched as Jack pulled a sharp stake off a nearby table and began to approach Tet. The older vampire straddled the hybrid, placing the point on Tet’s chest.

Andy took a deep breath, but nodded, heading out of the infirmary. She wandered the halls for a bit, trying to clear her mind of everything.

Tsukasa spoke from behind her. “You okay?”

“Feeling a bit useless right now with the Tet thing, trying to figure out what Seltain’s plan is if he survived, and still just trying to process the last couple weeks.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Wish I could help. You can come back now, if you want.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll be in there in a while.”

“Alright. Don’t blame yourself, none of this is your fault.” He headed for his office quietly.

Andy wandered a while longer before deciding to head to the kitchen and cook. She made a meal for the guys, eating a tiny bit herself as she sat in the corner.

The guys entered silently, quickly getting their own plates and sitting away from her. There was no conversation, the meal hurried. Ten minutes later, she was alone again.

She slowly washed the dishes before finally heading to the infirmary.

Jack sat beside Tet’s bed, monitoring the shifter’s vitals.

Tet wore an oxygen mask, his breathing slow. There was a tiny bag of blood attached to his iv, a bandage covering his chest. The heart monitor registered only 30 heartbeats per minute. 

Andy sat down and watched him for a few minutes before standing to leave.

“What are you thinking?” Jack’s voice was soft, his eyes meeting hers.

“A lot of things, I guess. There’s been so much going on, it’s been almost constant since I met you guys.” She glanced at Tet, “I’m worried about him.”

“He does have more issues than the rest of us. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve hurt him more than helped him by keeping him alive.” Jack ran a hand through the hybrid’s hair gently. “He tries to be better than everyone, to prove the scientists who said he’d die young wrong. Only I question if he isn’t just trying to die on his own terms.”

Andy sighed as she watched Tet.

Tsukasa came in scowling. “Remember when we talked about Seltain and the Council? He’s decided he doesn’t need one anymore. They’re all dead. And the bounty has gone up on us. He offering government positions to those who can kill us.” He looked at Andy. “ **All** of us.”

Andy cursed, “So what do we do now?”

“We need to go on the offensive. We’ve been trying unsuccessful in defending. So we take the fight to him-after we do everything we can to protect ourselves- and bury his ass.” Tsukasa gritted his teeth.

“Alright, so how do you plan to go after him? Do we just all go in guns blazing?”

“I figure he wants us, might as well give him everything. One of us is bound to take him out somehow. My money’s on you cause now he’s not even trying to play nice and pretend to be a teacher. You scare him.”

“I scare him?” Andy shook her head, “He kind of scares me. If what he taught me is just part of his power..”

Jack stood. “He may have a lot of power, but Boss is right. You’re untrained, oblivious to this world. Why did he send hounds after you? Why did he attempt to make you his apprentice? He could have left you alone and you would have never known about your parents, your powers or him. But he didn’t.”

Andy sighed, “You guys really think I can take him out?”

“You’ve come closer than any of us. You’ve hurt him twice, plus he’s pissed. He won’t be thinking as clearly. He wants you gone.”

“He’ll be the one gone..” Tet’s voice was weak, his hand shaking as he pulled off the mask. “Andy will put him where he belongs--hell.”

Andy looked over at Tet, giving him a small smile, “I hope I can live up to your beliefs.”

He sent her a tired grin. “You already have. You could have run screaming but instead you challenged him twice for a nobody like me.”

“You’re definitely more than a nobody.”

He gave a weak chuckle. “I stand corrected. Sorry for being such a pain in the ass.”

She took his hand, “I’ve just been worried about you.”

He looked at the blood and grimaced. “Sorry you saw that. I swore it would never happen again.”

Tsukasa looked at Jack and nodded.

The vampire left the room, then returned with several blood bags that he attached to the iv. “We drained you quite a bit, so I’m going to open your iv all the way. You’ll feel stronger in a few hours.”

Tsukasa looked at them. “In two days, we go to war. We come back victorious or we don’t come back.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll cram as many spells as I can.”

Tsukasa gave her a nod as he and Jack left.

Tet blinked at her. “I have faith in you.”

Andy gave him a small smile, “I’ll be right back.” She went and grabbed her book and went back to sitting next to him as she read.

He closed his eyes, relaxing in her presence. He fell asleep listening to pages being turned.

Andy continued reading for hours, not even realizing how late it had gotten. She was determined to learn as much as she could before they went after Seltain. She knew it wasn’t likely that a few days of cramming spells would be anything compared to Seltain’s thousand years experience but she had to try. She eventually looked up and noticed Tet was awake and staring at her. She gave him a small smile, “How are you feeling?”

“Much better. Though I need to hurry because you’re going to need help.” He sat up slowly, scowling at the iv.

Andy sighed, “Just focus on healing, I’ll be fine.”

He gave her a worried look, picking absently at the tape. “Do you think we have a chance?”

“I don’t know.. but I’m going to try my hardest.” She looked down, “I’m worried though.”

“Yeah, so am I.” He sighed. “If something happens..”

She nodded slowly, “I’m worried what it’ll mean if we can’t beat him. It won’t just be our lives at stake, but whoever he decides to go after next.”

“We have to stop him. But I don’t want you to be distracted. If something happens to us, promise me you won’t stop to help. Take care of Seltain, then come back for us.”

She gave a small smile, “I’ll try..”

He stared at her for a moment, then pulled the iv out. He winced, but continued out of the bed. He swayed, holding onto the frame.

“What are you doing?” Andy stood quickly.

“Getting ready.” His hand shook from the exertion, a growl coming from his throat. “I  _ have  _ to be ready.”

“Just rest for now,” she said as she put a hand on his shoulder. “We still have some time. If you don’t rest enough now, it’ll just hurt you later.”

“What if Seltain attacks? I can’t just lay here.” He struggled to control his emotions. 

“You’ve been protecting me from everything, let me protect you for once, okay?” She said softly.

He gave her a small smile, his eyes tired. He leaned into her touch with a sigh. “You’re too good for me.”

She chuckled, “Not sure about that. Let’s get you into bed so you can get some more sleep.” She helped him in and covered him before reattaching the IV.

She sat back down and went back to her reading, occasionally glancing up to look at Tet.

  
  
  


Andy showered quickly, then tied her hair up and out of the way. She’d gotten a few hours of sleep and hoped it would be enough to get her through her fight with Seltain. She left her room, waiting where the others were.

Tsukasa surveyed them, his lips tight. Finally, he spoke. “We know what we have to do. Destroy Seltain at all costs. We protect Andy until she can get close enough to fight. Good luck.” He looked at her, then shifted. His eyes glowed red out of a massive black dragon, smoke twirling through the air.

Everyone but Tet either shifted or transformed in some way. Soon a small army of vampires, wolves, dragons and what looked like a gold phoenix surrounded her.

She took a deep breath and readied herself for the fight. She thought of all the spells she could use and prayed one of them would finally take out Seltain.

Tsukasa looked at Tet who nodded. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

Tet held on to Andy’s arm as the others ran out the door.

Andy looked at Tet for a moment, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. I’m going to protect you as much as possible, but remember if I go down, keep going no matter what. Kill Seltain.” He gave her a hurried kiss, then transformed.  _ ‘Want a ride?’ _

She chuckled, “Are you sure?”

_ ‘Of course. A warrior goddess  _ **_must_ ** _ have a steed.’ _ His voice was amused, his gold eyes twinkling.

She smirked before climbing on and wrapping her arms around him.

He charged through the door, quickly catching up with the others. Tsukasa flew above them, scouting the area.

Andy held on tightly, keeping her eyes ahead to watch for any signs of danger. 


	6. Chapter 6

Andy climbed off Tetsuya’s back and approached Seltain.

“So, you’ve come for a fight, have you?”

Andy looked up at him, “You’d be after us sooner or later, figured we’d bring it to you first.”

“Smart planning. That doesn’t mean you’ll get the upper hand though,” Seltain responded. “I’ll give you one final chance, give yourself up and they’ll go free. You have such potential, it’d be a shame to waste it fighting for the wrong side.”

Tet growled before shifting. “Why don’t you just crawl back under the rock you came out of? She ain’t interested in anything but wiping you off the face of the planet.”

Seltain sighed. “Is that her desire or yours?”

Andy scowled, “If you didn’t want to use me, I’d say you could teach me. But you just want to use me and hurt people.”

“I hoped I could get you to see my side of things, but I guess not.” He started muttering a spell while staring at Tet.

Tet looked confused, then an agonizing pain spiked through his chest. He fell gasping to his knees, his eyes wide. “What did you do to me?”

Seltain grinned cruelly, “I removed a certain spell she placed on you. Ring any bells?”

Andy’s eyes widened and she cursed under her breath. She started speaking one of the killing spells and directed it at Seltain.

Seltain paused for a moment and said a counter spell before looking at her, “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

Tet swore, toppling onto his side. The pain was getting worse and he struggled to speak. “Take him out. Don’t worry about me.”

Andy shot a sad look his way before glaring at Seltain and rapidly muttering spells. Seltain did the same, and she soon felt pain shooting through her. She struggled to breathe as she said a counterspell, the pain slowly fading as she shot a spell at Seltain making him fall backwards. Andy used the opportunity to rush toward Tet, kneeling beside him a moment to make it look like she was checking on him. She stashed one of his pistols in her pocket before standing again.

“Knocking me over? You’re weaker than I thought. Not a scratch on me yet,” Seltain gave an evil chuckle before starting a new spell. Andy was mid-spell when she started coughing, blood splattering out from her lips.

She got a breath in and finished the spell she was working on before starting another to counter the one affecting her.

Seltain growled as his body slowed. Andy continued to cough, trying to get words out in every breath. 

As Seltain’s body slowed, Andy finally finished another spell which started completely freezing the necromancer. He got out another spell to counter it, but half his body was already frozen. He fought against it as he spit out another spell at Andy. The world suddenly felt sideways as dizziness hit her. She struggled to stay upright, and finally fell to her knees.

Seltain gave a small laugh as he got his legs moving again.

Andy said a counterspell once more, but still struggled to stand. She growled as she tried a few more kill spells. 

Finally, when Seltain swayed, she fully stood, pulling out the gun and shooting Seltain. It hit him in the chest and his eyes widened as he fell forward. 

She heard him muttering softly as blood started pooling out around him. Soon, she lost herself in another coughing fit, but focused on watching Seltain. His body gave a final breath before it quit moving.

Andy rushed to Tet’s side, wiping her blood off on her sleeve before checking on him.

“You still with me?” She choked out around more coughs. She finally got enough air in to stop coughing as she looked him over.

“Did you get him?” The words were weak, Tet’s eyes barely open. He struggled to breathe, sweat bathing his face.

“Yeah, I got him,” she said softly. She focused for a moment, trying to remember the spell she’d created for him. She said it as she put her hand on his chest, a seal mark appearing for a moment before fading away.

He gave her a small smile before his eyes closed.

Andy checked his pulse, wanting to make sure it was steady.

It throbbed slowly under her fingers.

She ran a hand through his hair gently before moving to sit. She still felt a bit dizzy and she wasn’t sure if it was the after effects from the dizziness spell or from blood loss. She stared over at Seltain for a few moments as she gave a relieved smile. 

A massive fireball erupted in the sky nearby.

Andy looked at Tet for a moment before standing and running toward the direction it came from. 

Carnage greeted her eyes, bodies littering the ground. Two dragons were falling from the sky.

She said a spell to catch them, lowering them slowly to the ground before looking them over.

They shifted to reveal Tsukasa and Ryusei, both bloody and burned.

A massive green dragon appeared, flames shooting toward her.

She put up a barrier around her and the other two dragons to shield them from the flames. The heat burned as it broke through the barrier. 

She said another spell to prevent it from hitting them and then said a killing spell focused at the green dragon.

The dragon stiffened, then began spiraling toward the ground a few feet away.

Andy knelt beside Tsukasa and Ryusei, checking them over and starting to use healing spells on them before moving to look for more of their group.

Kai was consoling Daiki. He cradled a still Kiba in his arms.

Yamae was weakly clutching Ryon as Jack tried to stop the porter’s bleeding.

Zal was shakily sitting by an unconscious Kenji and Taka.

  
  
  


Andy went to Yamae and said some healing spells to stop his bleeding and heal his wounds. She then went to Zal, Kenji, and Taka, healing them up the best she could before going back by Yamae and kneeling beside Ryon. She healed his wounds before focusing to revive him. The gold light surrounded him until he starting breathing again. Next she went to Kiba and did the same, making sure he was breathing and had a heartbeat before looking around again. She soon realized there were still a few more group members missing. She sat down for a moment to rest before standing again and going to look for them.

She found them a half mile away. They were crumpled in a pile, blood everywhere. Yoshi and Rei were huddled over Shouma, as if trying to protect him.

Andy closed her eyes for a moment before going to heal them. She struggled as she felt herself growing weaker but she continued to work. Once getting them all healed, she focused on all three at once, the gold light surrounding them. Once it faded, she fell forward to her knees breathing heavily before getting caught up in another residual coughing fit. 

Kai knelt beside her with a canteen. “Are you alright?”

After catching her breath she nodded slowly, “I will be I think. How’s everyone doing?”

“They’ll live. I take it Seltain is dead?” He offered her the canteen.

“Yeah, he’s dead.” She took a drink. 

He let out a quiet “thank god” before asking “Where is Tet?”

“He’s back by Seltain,” Andy answered. “He should be alright.”

Kai nodded, then stood. “We need transportation back to the base. Any ideas?”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, “I can use a spell to lift and carry everyone but I’d still have to walk it. You have any better ideas?”

“Too bad you can’t summon vehicles.” He chuckled, then frowned. “I could shift and take some, but it would be several trips.. Yamae could maybe port a few of us.”

“You guys help me get everyone together, then if you want to take anyone you can, but I’ll work on carrying the rest back.”

He sighed and nodded, then shifted and flew off towards the main battlefield.

“Owwww, I’m not cut out for this.” Shouma winced as he sat up. He eyed her critically. “You okay?”

She sighed, sitting down, “Little worn out, but I’ll be fine.”

“Seltain?”

“He’s dead,” Andy answered.

Shouma grinned for a minute, then sobered. “The team?”

“They’ll live. I revived and healed everyone.”

He exhaled softly, then looked at something behind her.

“Don’t disappear like that please.” Tet tried to control his breathing as he shifted back to human.

“Sorry, I was trying to help everyone..”

He sat down next to her, kissing her gently. “I know. I just kinda freaked when I woke and you were gone.”

She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Extremely lucky and grateful. We should have expected something like that.” He wrapped his arms around her gently.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to fight her growing exhaustion. “At least he’s gone now, so we don’t have to worry about that anymore.” 

“Yeah, he’s just a pile of ashes now. You’re free.” His voice was wistful.

“What are we going to do now?”

“You have a clinic to run, don’t you?” He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He squeezed her tight, then looked up as Tsukasa walked up.

“I have a truck and a car coming to pick us up. Tet, I want you to take Andy home after she grabs her stuff from the base.” He and Tet shared a long look, then the tiger nodded quietly.

Tsukasa moved away, speaking to Kaito as the aide nodded rapidly.

Andy looked down, “Won’t you guys still need a doctor? And a cook?”

Tet shrugged. “I don’t know. We move around a lot sometimes.” He lifted her chin. “Boss probably just wants you to get some normalcy back, now that the big bad is gone. You don’t really want to be stuck with us do you?”

“I can’t really imagine going back after the last couple weeks, you know?”

His eyes widened. “Are you saying you want to stay? Andy, you have a normal life to go back to. I thought you wanted that?”

“I don’t know..” 

He sighed, wrapping her hand in his as they waited.

Finally, the vehicles arrived, Tsukasa pulling Tet aside and whispering to him before waving Andy toward the car. Tet was frowning as he took over the driver’s seat and waited for Andy to climb in.

Andy got in and buckled herself before staring out the window quietly.

Tet sighed, but pulled out onto the road. After an hour, the base appeared. He parked outside the quarters, the car idling as he turned to her. “Grab your stuff. I’m making dinner tonight.”

She raised an eyebrow but went and got her stuff, shoving it into her bag before returning to the car.

He gave her an amused look. “I never said I couldn’t cook.” He pulled back onto the road, heading for her house. When they arrived, he turned the car off and kissed her. “Why don’t you get cleaned up while I cook?”

She nodded, heading to take a shower and change. She stood under the running water for a while losing track of time between her exhaustion and her mind thinking about everything. Eventually, she climbed out and got dressed, then headed for the kitchen.

Tet looked up with a smile. “Just in time.” He finished plating up the food, bringing it to the table. “I hope you like it. It’s not as good as your cooking, but I remembered some tricks.”

She gave him a small smile before sitting down, starting to eat. “It’s really good.” 

He blushed with a pleased smile. “I guess I’m not as rusty as I thought. Took some classes once.” He sat down, starting to eat.

Andy continued eating in silence, struggling to stay awake. 

Tet watched her quietly for a moment, then stood. He quickly swept her into his arms and moved towards her room. “Time for you to rest.”

She looked up at him and nodded, “Fighting Seltain was pretty tiring..”

He gave her a soft smile. “I imagine so, not including saving us again.” He gently laid her in bed, covering her with a quilt. He sat beside her, running a hand through her hair. “Sleep, Andy.”

She yawned, “Will you still be here when I wake up?”

“I’ll try.” His smile was fleeting, his eyes sad.

She wrapped her arms around him before quickly falling asleep.

He waited for awhile, then slipped out of her arms. He pulled out a pad and began to write. When he was finished, he placed the letter in an envelope and propped it on the bedside table. He leaned over, kissing her on the forehead softly. Then he quickly left, closing the front door behind him.

When Andy woke, she looked around, wondering where Tet was. She noticed the letter and sighed, opening it to read.

_ My warrior goddess, _

_ Where do I begin to thank you? You are so amazing, going from terrified to braver than I could ever be in such a short time. Your patients are truly lucky to have you. You saved my life, showing me such love and kindness as I’ve never known. I love you too much to let you stay in this world, knowing every day could be your last. I can’t rob the world of your beautiful spirit. We got orders to move locations while you were in the shower. I don’t know where we’re going, but I want you to know I will do my best to return to you. Please don’t hate me, I would be devastated. Just wait for me, please? _

_ Eternal Love, Tet _

Tears ran down her face as she read the letter, a mix of emotions running through her. Anger at him leaving and at him not wanting her to stay with them, sadness that he was gone and she had no clue when, or if, he’d return, and worry for all of them for their next mission. She crumpled the letter and threw it across the room in frustration, sobbing into her pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

Andy was working, inputting patient information into files and organizing them. She glanced up at the clock, sighing before looking back to continue. She wished she could just use magic for this stuff, it would be so much easier. It’d been so hard to come back to work and not use healing spells on all her patients. She pushed the thought from her mind, trying not to think of how much easier it was to heal Tet and his friends once she knew magic. She tried to spend the last few months forgetting about him, but every time he’d pop up in her mind, she’d get worried again and wonder what they were doing. She was still a bit angry though, not easily letting things go. She shook her head and went back to focusing on her work, thoughts of magic and the other world gone for the time being.

There was a soft knock at her office door.

She sighed and went to open it, looking out into the hall.

Tet leaned on the wall, a crooked grin appearing as he saw her. “Is there a doctor available?”

She took a deep breath before wrapping an arm around him and helping him into a room. 

He winced as he sat down, then sighed as he met her eyes. “You’re pissed aren’t you? Maybe I should go..”

“Pissed at you? Yes, a bit. But that’s not going to stop me from helping you.” She looked him over and focused for a minute as she recalled some healing spells. She recited them, light surrounding him as it healed his wounds.

He took a deep breath as the light disappeared. “I’m sorry. I wanted you to have a normal life after crazy necro. And I didn’t have a choice about the orders. Should I expect a syringe of something or do you want to use magic?” He tried to chuckle, but failed as his eyes stayed worried.

“I didn’t know what I wanted yet. Maybe I didn’t want my normal life back. But you decided for me when you had no right to do so.” She looked at the ground and was quiet for a moment before whispering out, “I’ve been so worried about you.”

He hung his head. “I’ve done nothing but dream about you for the last six months. I’m really sorry. I just didn’t want to lose you.” He slid off the bed, grabbing the wall as he swayed. “Obviously, I’m not welcome. I’ll go now. Thank you for the healing.” When he had regained his balance, he headed for the door slowly. 

She grabbed his arm, “You need to rest. Lay down.” She took a deep breath, “I said I was pissed, I didn’t say you weren’t welcome.”

He chuckled, looking at her. “Usually means the same thing in my experience.”

Up close, she could see the exhaustion in his face. He was paler than normal and unless she was imagining things, he’d lost weight as well.

She gave him a small smile, “I’ve missed you.”

He gave her a grin. “Same here. You have no idea how much.” He kissed her hard, then began to lean on her shoulder.

“Come on, you should sleep.”

He gave her another smile, allowing himself to be laid on the bed. He kissed her hand before his eyes slid closed.

She sat and watched him for a while before heading back into her office to finish her work.

A black jumpsuited figure stood with their back to her, looking at her computer screen.

“Hey, those are private patient files, you can’t be looking at them,” she spoke, unsure who she was talking to.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell if you won’t.” The figure turned with a smile to reveal Kiba. He looked toward the door. “Loverboy okay?”

“He’ll be fine once he gets some rest.”

“Good. He didn’t even go to base after we finished. Made a beeline here.” He chuckled, then winced and held his arm close.

Andy rolled her eyes and approached him, reciting a healing spell to fix his arm.

He gave her an abashed smile. “Who imagined that were-rats were so strong?”

“Were-rats?”

“Yeah. There are all kinds of shifters out there. We had to clean out a nest before they took over an entire city. Not fun. It was worse than the suckers and the dragons combined.”

Andy chuckled, “So how is everyone?”

“Driving Boss crazy because they’re sick of rations. And threatening Tet with bodily harm if he didn’t patch things up with you because he’s miserable to be with when he’s depressed.”

Andy shrugged, “It’s his fault.”

“He knew it too, believe me. That’s why he didn’t wait, even though he hasn’t slept in 72 hours and you saw his injuries.”

Andy nodded before sitting down at her computer. She went back to typing but continued talking, “So what have you been doing other than fighting were-rats?”

“Fighting every species of supernatural creature in the universe. At least it feels like it. The world is still trying to adjust to everything. We’ve been going almost non stop since we left.” He paused for a moment, fidgeting.

“No one has stepped up to make a new Council?”

“Everybody is too busy fighting each other. We’re hoping it dies down long enough for talks, but..” He trailed off and sighed. “Boss asked me if you’d be willing to talk to him?”

“Alright. When?”

“Whenever you want. We’re on stand down to recover.”

Andy nodded, “Is he at his office at the base?”

“You mean the infirmary? Yeah, he’s there.” Kiba grimaced.

Andy rolled her eyes, “I guess I’ll go heal up anyone in the infirmary..” She stood, “Keep an eye on Tet?”

Kiba nodded, but grabbed her arm. “Don’t freak when you see Boss. He’s been in there for two months. Got into it with a dragon who wanted to rule half the country. Boss killed him, but he was hurt pretty bad. Not sure if he’ll even survive another week.”

Andy sighed, “Why didn’t anyone call me to come help?”

“Firm instructions from Boss. You were off limits. You were to be allowed to resume your life as much as possible.” Kiba rolled his eyes.

“I wasn’t even sure I wanted to leave you guys in the first place!” Andy growled before taking a deep breath. “Anyway, I’ll be back..” She closed her eyes to focus on the infirmary before reciting the teleportation spell.

She materialized in the infirmary, eyes wide as she saw the room. Taka lay sleeping in one bed, his head bandaged. Rei lay nearby, an oxygen mask over his face. Various others lay either asleep or comatose.

Tsukasa lay in a corner, his chest and arms wrapped in bandages. He had a mask over his face, the breaths faint. Daiki sat asleep in the nearby chair.

She started with Taka and made her way through the room, reciting healing spells as she went. Finally she went to Tsukasa and did the same before sitting in a chair opposite Daiki.

Daiki stirred, eyes flying open as he quickly checked Tsukasa’s condition. His eyes widened as he realized she was there. “Andy?”

“Hey,” she said quietly.

“Kiba told you.” Daiki sighed heavily, dropping back into the chair.

She nodded, “Yeah. How are you doing?”

“Frazzled, like usual. I was lucky. Can I ask a question?”

“Sure,” she raised an eyebrow.

“Hypothetically, if bodies were frozen, could they be revived?”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, “I don’t see why they couldn’t be..”

Daiki tried not to look hopeful. “Really?”

“I mean, the freezing would prevent the body from rotting, so they’d probably be fine. It’d be interesting to try.” She looked at him for a moment before giving a small smirk, “Do you have a frozen body to try it on?”

The whispered number was almost inaudible.

“What? You do?”

“We have four.” Daiki’s voice was heavy.

“Where are they?”

He led her to a walk in freezer in another part of the base. He wheeled out four bodybags somberly. He unzipped them, exposing the bodies.

Yamae, Ryon, Kai and Ryusei lay pale against the black plastic.

“The vamps ambushed them. That’s why Tsukasa got hurt so badly.”

Andy nodded, “Let’s get them warmer and I’ll start trying to revive them.”

Daiki led her to the sauna room. “Too warm?”

She shook her head, “This’ll work.”

He quickly rolled the tables in and got the sauna working. He gave her a grateful look. “You don’t have to do this, but thank you.”

“I want to help, and I consider them my friends too.” She gave a small smile before focusing on making sure their bodies were healed up. Once warm enough, she focused on all four at once. She struggled for a while but finally she got it, the gold light radiating off of them until they sucked in the warm air.

Daiki looked like he was going to pass out from joy. He brushed his knuckles over his eyes, then exited quickly.

“Where?” Yamae pushed himself up on his elbows. His eyes widened. “You’re back?”

She sighed, “I don’t know about that exactly, but I’m here right now to help. You’re at the base, in the sauna actually.”

He carefully climbed out of the bag, his feet swinging as he looked around. “So I’m guessing the suckers got us?”

She nodded, “I’m not sure how long ago that actually was though..”

“Two months.” Kiba stood in the doorway. He was smiling as he greeted Yamae. “Probably should get them out of here before they get heatstroke.”

They rolled the tables out, Kiba turning the machine off. “You see Boss yet?”

“I did a couple healing spells on him, but that’s about it,” Andy answered.

“Ah ok. Tet’s in his room, worried you’re going to leave without saying goodbye. I’m going to find Daiki.” Kiba left with a whistle.

“Please tell me he’ll be less grumpy now?” Yamae whined.

“It’s his fault so he shouldn’t be grumpy about it,” Andy answered.

“Grumpy is a nice word for stupid, reckless and suicidal.” Ryon sat up with a sigh. “You haven’t seen his body lately, have you?”

“Not really,” Andy admitted.

“Try to keep calm when you do. That’s all I’ll say.” The porter climbed off the table and left the room.

Yamae grimaced. “Sorry about him. He’s close to Tet and was worried he’d do something.”

“Look, Tet was the one who made me go back to live a normal life. And claimed he’d do his best to return so why would he be so reckless?” 

“It wasn’t all him. He would have come back months ago, but Tsukasa told him the decision was made. That’s when he became reckless. He charged into vamp dens unarmed except for his shift, challenged a homicidal dragon about four months ago.” The porter shook his head. “Frankly we were ready to place bets on the likelihood of him surviving til next month.”

Andy sighed but thought about everything, “Tsukasa told him the decision was made? What decision?”

“When Tet returned to base after leaving you, Tsukasa told us his boss was fuming about a civilian being brought in to fight. His boss threatened to disband us and send us back to our former units if we so much as uttered your name.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Yeah, but look where it got you guys, all in the infirmary or the morgue.” 

Yamae looked at her. “You don’t get it yet. We’re outcasts. The military doesn’t care if we all get wiped out. In fact, it would save them money. We were put here as cannon fodder because we’re scary to the normal people.” He gave a rueful chuckle.

Andy sighed, “Sounds like the military is stupid.”

Yamae laughed with delight. “Give the girl a gold star.”

“Why are you guys still here if it’s like that?”

“We’re trapped. We weren’t all born like this you know. Most of us are victims of the military in the first place.” 

Andy sighed again, “Can’t you leave?”

“Kill order sound familiar? It was created for us. The _monsters_ they made with their drugs and tests.” He scowled angrily, then explained.

“Us porters are born this way. Daiki, Jack and Zal were prisoners facing execution that were promised freedom if they helped research vampirism. They didn’t know the research involved being turned into one. The rest of us became shifters because of a supposed vaccine that would prevent it. Except for Taka. He’s an anomaly. A true natural shifter.”

He looked sad. “We wanted to help and got trapped. We die if we leave so…” 

“That’s terrible,” Andy answered sadly. “I’d save you guys if I knew how but I think that would involve taking out the entire military..”

He grinned. “That would be a sight to see. If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell Tet where you found it out?”

She nodded slowly, “Okay?”

“Tet’s dad is Boss’ boss. He’s a Two star general who became a shifter. He agreed to help the scientists see if they could create a hybrid with a vampire they caught. After years, Tet was born and survived. When his mom couldn’t bear any more children, his dad killed her. Then he came to the base we were at and delivered the news to Tet. That’s when Tet lost control and had to be put down for three weeks.”

Andy shook her head, “Sounds like an asshole.”

“Putting it mildly. He’s the one who keeps assigning us these missions. We’re expendable and Tet even more so since he refuses to be studied.”

Ryon returned frowning. “Boss is awake, wants to see you. Still can’t find Daiki and Tet is pacing a hole in his floor. Have fun.”

Andy headed back to the infirmary to see Tsukasa.

He was sitting up, eyes locked on his cell. She could hear a slot machine.

Andy approached him, “Hey.”

He looked up with a smile, putting his phone aside. “Hey. Um.. thanks for this.” He indicated the bandages.

“Not a problem. How are you feeling?”

“Like a new man. I need to apologize to you.” He hesitated, looking down at the blanket.

“Why?”

“Because I kept Tet away. I was a coward. I didn’t want to risk everyone getting sent back to certain death.” He clasped his hands together to stop their trembling. “Forgive me?”

“Of course,” Andy gave him a smile. 

“Would you stay with us? Like before?”

“Do you guys actually want me to?”

“Yes. Damn the higher ups. I want to keep my men alive and you want the same. Plus you’re good for morale. Do you really want us to keep living on ration bars?” He chuckled.

Andy laughed, “You guys do need some real food.” 

“I don’t want you saying yes because of us. You have a life, a job and if you don’t want to be here, I won’t force you.”

She took a deep breath, “It’s really been a struggle going back to everything after the whole Seltain thing.”

He nodded. “Alright. Consider yourself a doctor attached to this outfit.”

She nodded, “Thank you.”

“Goes double for us. Now go see Tet before he makes a hole to the center of the earth in his room.”

Andy chuckled, “Alright.” She stood and started down the hall, knocking on Tet’s door.

“It’s open.”

She opened it slowly, then entered, “Hi.” She looked at him and noticed he was shirtless then stared at him for a moment, taking in all the damage.

He paled, scrambling for a shirt. He hurriedly put it on, then swallowed hard. “Sorry you saw that.”

She shook her head, “It’s fine. Are you okay?”

“The nap helped. I’m not a hundred percent.” He shrugged. “What’s up?”

She sighed, “I’m sorry I was so mad at you.”

He shook his head. “I deserved it.” He hesitated in approaching her, his hands clasped tight in front of him.

“Are we okay?”

“Shouldn’t that be my line?” A ghost of a smile flickered on his lips.

She gave a small smile, “I hope we’re okay.”

He gave up trying to hold back, crossing the room quickly and kissing her like he needed her to live. She could feel him tremble with exertion and need.

She kissed back hard as she wrapped her arms around him.

His hands cupped her face, his eyes bright. He pulled back. “I’m not leaving your side.”

“Well, Tsukasa asked me if I’d like to stay, and I’m now officially the team’s doctor,” she smiled. “So you won’t have to leave my side.”

“What about the clinic?” His eyes searched hers.

She shrugged, “I have some other doctors working there now, so it can go on without me.”

“You sure? It’s dangerous.”

“I know.” She sighed. “But do you know how hard it is now that I know healing spells to just bandage and stitch people up and having to watch them take all that time and pain to heal? It’s unbearable.”

He cocked his head. “I was sure you’d be the most loved doctor in town because you’d use your spells. But you don’t? Why not?”

“If they find out I can heal, then they’ll wonder what else I can do, and I don’t want to deal with that all the time. And especially the necromancy, all the people wanting me to revive their relatives...” she trailed off before shaking her head, “All I can see is bad things happening.”

“I get that. So we’re the lucky ones huh?” He gave her a small smile.

“I guess if you consider me healing you lucky, then yeah.”

“I’m the luckiest man in the world.” He gave her a soft smile, then his knees buckled.

She quickly caught him, “You should rest more.”

“I think you’re right. The room was a carousel a second ago.”

She helped get him into bed, pulled the blanket up then kissed his forehead, “I’m going to go home and grab some of my stuff. I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”

He gave her a smile, closing his eyes and relaxing.

Andy soon headed out of the room before saying the teleportation spell to go home.

After returning, she went to her old room at the base and found it just like she’d left it. She set her bag down then headed for the kitchen to start cooking.

When she was done, she took some food to the infirmary for those who were still in there, then headed back to the kitchen.

Tet crept in, wrapping his arms around her. “I was lonely.”

“I’m sorry. Are you hungry?”

“Ravenous. You look good to start with.” He laughed as he tickled her.

She giggled as she tried to tickle him back.

“I love that sound.” He kissed her, then headed for the food. “Oh boy. This definitely beats rations.”

Yamae and the other porters entered, inhaling deeply. “That smells so good.”

Andy smiled, “Hope you enjoy.”

They grinned, grabbing plates and wolfing the food. They exchanged glances, then turned to her. “Can we call you Mom now?”

She chuckled, “I guess if you want to.”

The porters high fived each other, then finished. They put their plates in the sink, broad smiles on their faces as they left.

Tet gave her a soft grin. “You just made their year, you know that? They’re all orphans. Joined the military so they wouldn’t be on the streets.”

“That’s so sad,” Andy glanced at him.

“You’ll find no shortage of that here. But you make it better for everyone.”

Jack entered, looking worried. “Have you two seen Daiki at all?”

Tet shook his head.

“They still haven’t found him?”

Tet stared at her. “What do you mean, _still_?”

“Earlier first Kiba went looking for him, then Ryon. I figured he’d be found by now..”

Tet and Jack frowned, then matching looks of alarm crossed their faces.

“He wouldn’t do that _again_. Would he?” Tet looked at Jack who groaned. “Shit.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “What did he do?”

“Daiki is very private, doesn’t like to admit things. Once, he’d tussled with a dragon and didn’t tell anyone. Got sick from being bit and nearly died. He has a tendency to hide or minimize injuries and treat himself in hiding.” Jack closed his eyes. “If it’s this bad…”

“Where would he go?”

“Underground. There’s a spot around the corner outside.” Tet headed for the door.

He led them to a manhole. “A bomb shelter. Daiki sometimes sleeps here.” He easily lifted it, then started down the ladder. “Daiki, you stupid fang face. Get your ass out here.”

“Go away.” The voice was weak and pained.

“We aren’t leaving until I’ve checked you over and healed you,” Andy answered.

“Why bother?” Daiki limped into view. One leg was wrapped in bandages and he appeared to be trying to hide something on his chest with more.

“Well, seeing as I _am_ a doctor and it’s my job, and you seem injured so I’m going to help.”

“I’m not your job.” He tried to sound threatening, but failed miserably as he lost his balance and fell.

“You are such a pain in the ass.” Tet caught him, then yelped. He sat the vampire down, then looked at his hand and grimaced. “Damned dragons.”

Andy looked at Daiki, “Actually, Tsukasa made me doctor of the team, so you are my job.” She approached and started muttering a healing spell.

Daiki muttered something under his breath as his chest began healing.

Tet smothered a laugh, wincing as he hit his hand.

Andy took Tet’s hand and said another spell, the light soon covering it and healing it.

When Daiki was healed, Jack grabbed him by his ear. “How many times do we have to tell you to stop hiding injuries?”

Daiki grimaced. “Owwwwww. I swear I won’t anymore!”

Jack let go. “Next time, I’ll grab your fangs. Now go eat and get some sleep before Tsukasa finds out.”

Daiki paled, scrambling up the ladder past them like he had been lit on fire.

Tet couldn’t hold his laughter in anymore, bending over and cracking up. “That never gets old.” He sat down hard as he ran out of breath, holding his abdomen. “Dammit.”

“You okay?” Andy looked at him worriedly.

“Leftover damage from months ago.” Jack helped him to his feet. “Get your ass up the ladder.”

Tet grumbled, but climbed up slowly. Once back on the surface, he curled into a ball.

“You should let me do some scans and let me see what I can do to help,” Andy spoke softly.

“I have several bullets lodged in me. I know what’s wrong.” Tet spoke through gritted teeth as a wave of pain wracked him.

“Alright, well I might be able to remove them,” she answered.

Tet didn’t answer, his body relaxing as he passed out.

Jack exhaled sharply, lifting him easily and heading for the infirmary. He laid Tet down on a bed, thanking every deity he knew the room was empty. “I’ll get you his xrays.” He headed for the office, returning with a large envelope.

He pulled them out, holding them to the sunlight. Two bullet shapes were clearly visible, one against his spine, the other against his abdominal artery.

Andy sighed heavily as she stared at them. She looked over at Jack, “Want to help me perform surgery?”

Jack took a deep breath. “You really think you can remove them safely?”

“I think so,” she nodded. 

“Let’s do this then. He’s been in pain long enough.” Jack headed for the scrub room.

Andy gathered the supplies before doing the same.

Tet was awake when Jack emerged, his eyes glazed in pain. “Andy.. it hurts..”

Jack cursed, clasping his friend’s hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Don’t worry, everything will be alright.” She gave him anesthesia and made sure he was out before starting the surgery. 

“Dammit! I think the bullet nicked the artery.” Jack growled.

Andy worked on closing it, muttering healing spells as she did.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief as the bleeding stopped. “One down.”

Andy nodded and started working on the second one.

Jack monitored Tet’s blood pressure. “Stay steady, damn it.”

Andy worked slow but steady, trying to avoid damaging anything. She kept muttering spells to herself and occasionally things would glow as they healed together.

Jack held his breath as she began to remove the bullet.

She gently pulled it out then dropped it into a container on the table next to her. She then worked on closing the incision and saying a spell to heal it up.

Jack sat down heavily, muttering a prayer under his breath. “You think he’ll be okay?”

“I hope so,” Andy answered as she started cleaning up the supplies.

Tsukasa entered slowly, stopping as he took in the scene. “Bad time?”

“We just finished,” Andy gave him a small smile. “What’s up?”

“Remember those elders we had problems with in the park?”

Jack swore. “They’re back?”

“Yep. And they’ve issued a threat, telling us to get out or they’ll attack.”

“Great. So what’s the plan?”

“Call their bluff. That way we can wipe them out with no issues from the bosses upstairs.”

Andy nodded and went to finish cleaning. She looked at Tet and made sure his vitals were steady again before running a hand through his hair.

“Get ready to defend this place.” Tsukasa looked at Tet grimly. “They also said they were coming for him.”

Andy sighed, “I’ll do what I can to protect him.”

Tsukasa nodded, heading for the door.

Jack tossed a gun to her. “Hellfire rounds. Burn them to ash. Just watch where you point it.”

She nodded and pocketed it.

“What’s going on?” Tet’s voice was shaky.

“Don’t worry, just rest,” Andy said softly.

“I heard something.. An attack? Who?” Tet tried to sit up, still only half conscious. 

“Those elders from the park.”

His eyes shot open. “Shit. They’re coming after me.. I have to get away from here so no one else gets hurt.” He attempted to stand, but couldn’t manage. He shook as he tried again.

Andy grabbed him before pulling a syringe from her pocket and injecting it into his arm. “Don’t worry. Just sleep.”

“Can’t let.. Hurt.” His words trailed off as he lost consciousness.

Andy sighed and settled him back into the bed before setting up a protective barrier around him.

Jack and Zal entered, heavily weaponized. “They’re coming. Get ready.”

Andy nodded, praying killing spells would work the same on vampires.

The sounds of weapons firing echoed, followed by screeching.

The two vampires transformed, their eyes glowing red as they cocked their weapons.

The door was torn from its hinges as a heavy set vampire barreled in.

Jack fired, sneering as the man went up in flames.

Then the vampires swarmed in and attacked.

Andy muttered different spells to keep them back or kill them as she maintained the barrier around Tet.

One vampire extended a hand. “Give him to us and live.”

“I’m not handing him over to you,” Andy answered angrily.

“He is ours. His birthright.” The vampire stared at her.

“I don’t care,” Andy growled before reciting a spell that set him on fire.

He hissed before disintegrating.

Suddenly the room was quiet.

She looked around, checking Tet quickly.

He was mumbling her name, his eyes still closed.

She smiled as she watched him.

Zal staggered toward her, his neck bleeding profusely.

She caught him, putting him in a bed before saying spells to help close the wound.

“Jack..went down. Find him please.”

She nodded, “Don’t worry, I will.” 

Zal’s eyes closed.

Flakes of ash swirled around her as she searched the floor. Suddenly she felt a body. She brushed away the ash, revealing Jack. He wasn’t moving, puncture marks on every exposed area.

She knelt beside him, checking him over and reciting spells to close the puncture marks before lifting him and carrying him into the infirmary and onto a bed. She checked for any sign of a pulse and after not finding one, she focused until the gold light surrounded him.

He took a deep breath, then it normalized.

“You guys alright?” Tsukasa entered worriedly, Ryon and Kiba behind him.

Andy nodded, “They will be.” She checked Tet again. “How’s everyone else?”

“Minor injuries. Nothing important.” Tsukasa frowned. “You haven’t seen Ryusei, have you?”

Andy shook her head, “No, I haven’t.”

Tsukasa swore. “He was our alert system. But he’s now disappeared.” His radio crackled to life, Kai speaking. 

“We found him. Bringing him home.” The grief was evident in the porter’s voice.

Andy sighed, getting supplies ready.

Twenty minutes later, Kai came in carrying Ryusei. As he was laid down, Andy gasped at the savage injuries. Both wrists were slashed, his arms and neck covered in punctures. He was as white as the sheets he was laid on.

Kai hissed, turning away. “The bastards controlled him. He slashed his own wrists for them.”

“That’s horrible,” Andy stared for a few moments before getting to work on cleaning the body. She gently cleaned the blood off before reciting the healing spells to close up the wounds. She then attached an IV for a blood transfusion. After he had more blood back in his body, she focused on reviving him. The gold light appeared around him for a few minutes before fading away, his breathing and heart rate steady.

Tet began to stir, his head tossing from side to side. “Don’t go..please don’t go, Andy!” His eyes flicked rapidly back and forth under his lids as he grew more agitated.

Andy went to him and put her hand on his shoulder, “Tet, everything is alright. Wake up.”

His eyes flew open, wildly searching until they focused on her face. He exhaled sharply, leaning into her touch. “Just a nightmare…”

“Yeah, it was just a nightmare. I’m not going anywhere.” She gave him a small smile, “How are you feeling?”

“Okay. What happened?”

“Jack and I did surgery to remove the bullets. Then there was a vamp attack. Don’t worry, everyone will be alright.”

“They wanted me..You’re in danger.” He tried to sit up.

“It’s alright,” Andy assured. “I can take on a bit of danger.”

He gave her a small smile. “You can’t take on all the clans. Sooner or later, they’ll get me.” He sounded weary and dejected.

“I can try,” Andy answered. “Don’t worry about it for now, alright?”

He shook his head. “This squad is.. You are my responsibility. I can’t put you in danger for me.” He pushed himself off the bed, walking unsteadily towards the door.

“Hey, remember how we discussed me having a right to choose things? I chose to be here. I chose to stay here with you. You aren’t causing any more danger than the amount I’ve chosen for myself, alright?” She sighed, “The squad are your friends and they want to help you too. We aren’t going to just let some vamps take you.”

“You gave yourself up to Seltain for us, now it’s my turn.” He swayed as he spoke, Tsukasa steadying him with a look of concern. 

“Remember how you all came after me? We’d do the same for you, putting ourselves into the danger anyway.” She approached and grabbed his hand, “Outside of all that, you just had major surgery. You need to rest more and don’t make me sedate you again.”

He turned to look at her. “I don’t want anyone hurt for me.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I guess this is what it means to have family..”

She squeezed his hand, “Now come on, back to bed.”

He chuckled briefly, allowing himself to be put back. He struggled to stay awake, gazing at Andy. “Sorry for being stupid.”

She smiled, “We just worry about you, okay?” She kissed his forehead, “Sweet dreams.”

He gave her a wide smile before drifting off.

“He’s not wrong. They won’t stop until they have him.” Tsukasa began to pace.

“Then I’ll just have to find a way to take them out,” Andy answered.

Kiba snickered. “ **You’re** going to take out all 13 clans of suckers? This should be a better show than Seltain.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “There has to be some way to do it.”

“Go to their meeting hall during a conclave. Use Hellfire.” Daiki sauntered in with a grin.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Not a bad idea. Though that’s probably one of the more dangerous ways to go about it.”

Tsukasa glared at Daiki before speaking. “Ignore my idiot. That’s a horrible idea. Though I am worried about our defenses if they attack again.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Maybe I can make a really big barrier..?” Andy looked thoughtful.

“What are we going to do about him? He might try to sneak out.” Kiba leaned against his bed as he watched him sleep.

“Keep eyes on him at all times?” Andy thought. “Though that might be difficult.”

“Good luck.” Daiki frowned. “He doesn’t port but he’s pretty sneaky.”

Andy frowned, “Well, then we just have to come up with a plan before he sneaks off.”

“Let’s sleep on it. Hopefully, it’ll stay quiet.” Tsukasa ushered everyone mobile out of the infirmary, leaving Andy alone with the recovering men.

Andy checked their vitals again before sitting in the chair next to Tet. She stared at him for a while, trying to think of any ideas to help, until she started drifting off.

Tet opened one eye, watching her. He hadn’t been faking, but he hadn’t been completely asleep either. He sighed internally. The squad meant well and he did appreciate the support, but this was personal. Just like Seltain had been for Andy. He had to take care of this himself, before something happened that couldn’t be fixed.

He began to slide slowly and carefully off the bed, fervently praying he’d be able to disappear without anyone being the wiser.

Andy blinked her eyes open and watched him for a moment before speaking quietly, “Please don’t go.”

He visibly jumped, putting one hand to his chest as he turned. “Thought you were asleep.”

“Kind of was,” Andy admitted.

“Dammit. Hoped I could get out of here with no confrontations.” He leaned on the bed, watching her.

“If you’re so determined to go, I’m going with you.”

He paled, shaking his head. “They’ll kill you.”

Andy shrugged, “And if you go alone, I’ll come after you anyway and they could kill me then too.”

He sank to his knees. “Why? Why can’t you let me take care of this?”

“Why couldn’t you let me deal with Seltain when I gave myself up to him?” She asked back.

“Because he wanted to control you, twist you into a version of himself.” He looked at her through anguished eyes. “You would have been lost.”

Andy sighed and looked down, “I just don’t want you to go.”

He rose, crossing to her and wrapping his arms around her. “I don’t want to go. I just don’t see another way..” Tears began to streak his cheeks, his shoulders shaking.

She hugged him tightly, “Just let us think of some ideas before you go running off, okay? We might be able to make a good plan.”

He slowly nodded, burying his face in her hair. “I don’t want to rule. I don’t want to die and be reborn…” He gripped her tighter before pulling away. “Kill me. They’ll give up if I’m dead.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

He growled in desperation. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” He began to reach for the surgical tools nearby.

“You know I’ll just bring you back,” she put her hand over them so he couldn’t grab them.

“We could fool them. Buy us some time to figure something out.” His voice was fast, his eyes wild. His breathing began speeding up and he grabbed his head.

“Alright, we’ll talk to Tsukasa about it,” she put a hand on him gently, “Are you alright?”

“My head feels like it’s going to explode.” He looked at her, his eyes flashing red for a moment before becoming normal.

She stared at him for a minute before saying a spell to try to help with the pain.

He sagged into her arms as he passed out.

She got him back into bed and continued keeping an eye on him.

Tsukasa entered the next morning, his eyes straying to Tet worriedly. “He been a problem?”

“Kind of.. At one point his head suddenly hurt and his eyes flashed red..” 

“Shit. Not good.” Tsukasa exhaled hard.

“What’s it mean?”

“It means his vampire side is trying to overtake his shifter side. There’s probably another vampire helping from afar. The scientists wanted to study this but it’s too much of a risk to his sanity.”

“So what do we do?”

“I wish I knew. This situation isn’t conducive to keeping him calm and that’s really what he should do. I’ll send out a scouting team to see if we can locate the vamp influencing him, but otherwise..”

“He suggested tricking them into thinking he’s dead.. at least to buy us more time. Any chance that would work?”

The dragon looked thoughtful. “He actually isn’t wrong.. But I worry what would happen if you revived him?”

“Then don’t.” Tet sat up, looking grim. “Maybe this is just how my story ends.” He winced, rubbing his temple. “I can hear them trying to get in my head..”

“We aren’t just letting you die.” She sighed.

He met her eyes with a sad smile. “I’ve been prepared for this since I understood what I was. My siblings either died in infancy or went mad with bloodlust long before this. I just hate that it happened now, now that I have you.”

Andy looked down for a moment, trying to think of any more plans. “I have a crazy idea.. Back on the plan of taking out the vamps, if you did die, we could freeze you until they are all gone..”

“Like we did with the porters? But it doesn’t solve the problem of his bloodlust taking over.” Tsukasa pursed his lips.

“Maybe I could make a spell seal? I’d have to create a new spell again, but I’ve done it before.”

Tet stayed quiet, letting Andy and Tsukasa talk. He focused on her voice, trying to drown out the sound of blood thumping through their veins. He gritted his teeth as he felt his fangs trying to extend. Finally, he growled “Get out of my head dammit!”

Andy gently put a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, focus on me. Everything will be alright.” She shot Tsukasa a worried look, “Maybe I should work on that spell seal now..”

Tsukasa nodded, cautiously watching the shifter as he began to shake. “You might want to sedate him first..”

He suddenly pushed her away from Tet, seconds before the hybrid leapt for her throat. The dragon cried out as the fangs latched onto his shoulder and dug in.

Tet’s mind went blank except for the taste of the blood filling his mouth. He swallowed hungrily, ecstasy filling him. Feeling the dragon pulling away, he gripped tighter.

Andy quickly grabbed a sedative and injected it into Tet’s arm. She then grabbed him by the hair and pulled back hard to get him off of Tsukasa. 

Tet crumpled into her arms as Tsukasa sagged to the floor, weakly clutching his shoulder.

Andy got Tet back up into the bed once again before kneeling beside Tsukasa. She said a healing spell to close the wound and then held her hand out to help him move. 

He took it, shakily rising to his feet and grabbing his radio. “Everyone be advised, there’s a vamp somewhere nearby. Find and fry its ass.”

Daiki’s voice came back. “What happened?”

“Tet tried to eat me for lunch. All personnel apart from vamps steer clear of the infirmary for now.” He lowered the radio, breathing hard.

Andy sighed, looking back at Tet, trying to work out a spell in her mind. She didn’t know if she should make it specifically to prevent the bloodlust or if she should try to make it so they couldn’t get into his mind, or maybe she could do both? She lost herself in thought as she stared at him.

Tsukasa sat down, feeling exhausted. His mind raced as he tried to decide what to do. Should they go with Andy’s spell idea or give in to Tet? He growled in frustration.

Tet spoke from the bed. “I’m too dangerous right now.. You guys have to protect yourselves. Put me down.”

Andy shook her head but stayed silent, looking to Tsukasa. 

The dragon closed his eyes, scowling. “Shut up idiot.”

“I almost killed you just now! If Andy hadn’t done what she did, I would have drained you dry! Next time she might not be able to stop me.. You have to end this.” Tet’s voice broke. “I can’t have you guys on my conscience.”

Andy frowned, “There has to be another way.” She sat down and grabbed a pad of paper, starting to jot words down onto it for her spell. 

Tet went silent, closing his eyes and desperately willing the sedative to kick in again. His head throbbed, his hands tightening around the bed frame as he resisted the urge to feed.

“Andy.. figure out something fast.” Tsukasa watched the shifter warily, noting the white knuckled grip. “I think he’s losing it again.”

Andy took a deep breath, approaching Tet and putting a hand on his chest. She focused and recited the words off the paper, a seal brightly appearing from around her hand before fading away. 

Tet relaxed, his breathing easing into sleep as Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “What kind of spell was that?”

“If it works how I intended, it should both help with the bloodlust and prevent them from getting in his head. Being a sealing spell it should continue to stay active.”

Tsukasa gave a sigh of relief as his radio crackled to life.

“One sucker roasted and toasted.” Yamae cracked. “How’s Shere Khan doing?”

Andy chuckled and looked at Tsukasa, “Hopefully he’ll be alright now, but we’ll have to wait until he wakes up to be sure.”

“He’s playing Sleeping Beauty right now. We’ll let you know.” Tsukasa turned the radio off and gave her a grin. “He has a tendency to give nicknames. You have no idea how long it took him to quit calling me Puff.”

Andy laughed, “Bet you loved that.”

“Let’s just say he seemed to enjoy the brig for awhile. Still think he calls me it out of earshot.” Tsukasa stood, then swayed. “Ohhh boy.”

“Do you want a transfusion to help?” Andy suggested.

“I do feel a few pints low. What do you think?” He held onto the chair for support.

“Might as well, it won’t hurt.” She went and got the supplies ready.

Tsukasa hefted himself onto a bed after removing his jacket. “He wasn’t wrong, you know. When he lost control the first time, he killed 3 soldiers and almost killed Kiba. They almost executed him before the scientists suggested the coma.”

Andy frowned, “That must have been rough.”

“Yeah. Kiba kept trying to convince him it wasn’t his fault, but it was months before Tet felt comfortable enough to be around us again. He began to take the medicine without fail, never missing a dose until we got your assignment. After he saw you, he quit cold turkey. Said your spirit was his cure. We told him he was crazy.”

Andy chuckled, “As flattering as that is, he _is_ crazy.” 

Tsukasa looked at her. “You saved him from dying. Now you’re doing it again. Still think he’s crazy?”

Andy took a deep breath, “I’m just doing what I can to help.”

The dragon grinned. “Whatever you say.” He winced as she attached the IV.

She made sure it was secure before sitting down again and looking over at Tet. “I hope things work out well..”

“Everyone okay?” Zal blinked as he sat up, Jack doing the same.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Andy answered.

“The surgery work?” Jack glanced at Tet anxiously.

“Yeah, he’s even been up out of bed a few times.”

“Great. Wait, you two don’t look happy. Something else happened didn’t it?” Both vampires stood and moved to her side.

“He should be alright now, I hope,” Andy answered, “but he was having some issues.”

“Tet in a nutshell.” Kiba stood in the doorway quietly. “Is it safe to come in?”

“I think so. I did a spell that I think will help.”

“This was ported to us a few minutes ago. Invitation to conclave for Tet.” He tossed the scroll to Andy. “They want to talk.”

She frowned but stayed silent as she glanced at the scroll.

Jack hissed. “More like an invitation to hell. They won’t let him leave if he goes.”

“But we know they’ll be there and could attack..”

The vampires exchanged looks, then Jack sighed. “I’m going to tell you the truth. Boss doesn’t even know this cause it was kept out of official documents. Tet’s mother was the Vampire Queen. Think you can figure the rest out on your own?”

“I kind of already guessed that based on a few things he said earlier,” Andy admitted. 

“So you know what they want from him?”

“Not one hundred percent, but he says he doesn’t want it.”

“They want to make him completely vampire so he can rule.” Zal growled angrily. “They want to strip him of everything that makes him him.”

“So, we need to figure out how to stop them,” Andy reminded.

“If he doesn’t go, we can expect another attack.” Tsukasa rose on his elbow. “So we either let him go or we fight and hope we aren’t overwhelmed.”

“I vote we fight.”

“You think Tet will agree to that? He’s been trying to avoid us fighting.” Zal frowned.

“Well, we _could_ always just keep him sedated so we don’t have to deal with him disagreeing...” Andy gave a tiny smirk.

Tsukasa bit his lip, trying not to laugh. “If he wakes up, you are so in trouble.”

“I know a sleeping spell that can keep him under better than actual sedatives,” she looked thoughtful.

“He really _isn’t_ up to fight anyone right now.” Tsukasa mused as he watched the tiger.

“I’m fine.” Tet cracked an eye open. “I’m guessing I don’t have a choice do I?”

Andy went to him and shook her head, “Not really. How are you feeling?”

“Calm. Alone in my head, which is nice. Sorry for eavesdropping.” He winced at the transfusion attached to Tsukasa. “Really sorry about that.”

“I’m glad the spell is working so far,” Andy gave a small smile. 

“You’re really not going to let me fight or leave, are you?” He gave her a wry smile.

“I will knock you out to keep you here if I have to,” she nodded.

“I know when I’m whipped. Just be here when I wake? If something happens..” He locked eyes with her. “If I wake and you’re not here, I _will_ find you. And may the gods help whoever or whatever has you.”

She smiled softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”

He smiled back, then nodded at Tsukasa. “Same goes for you guys. I want to have movie night with **all** of you lunatics.” He looked back at Andy. “I’m ready.”

She bent down and kissed him quickly.

He returned the kiss, his eyes soft.

Andy recited a spell and focused it on Tet. 

His eyes closed, his body relaxing as it took hold.

“He’ll be out a good eighteen or more hours now,” Andy ran a hand through his hair.

“More than enough time for this to end.” Tsukasa began to bark orders. “Kiba, get the porters to lay hellfire mines on the most likely ways into the base. Jack, hand out the UV grenades and load every gun with Hellfire rounds. Once the ammo runs out, everyone shift. We either end them or they’re going to end us.”

The three left the infirmary at a run as Tsukasa unhooked the IV. “Are you staying here?”

“I’ll fight if you let me.”

“You want to, do it. You’re a part of this now. Just make sure you don’t make your words to him a lie.” He left the infirmary quickly.

Andy gave Tet another glance before heading to her room to change. She got ready then headed out into the hall. 

Taka looked up at her. He was leaning on the wall, his rifle in the crook of his elbow. “You ready to face a lot of pissed off suckers?”

“As ready as I can be.”

He tossed the rifle to her. “Have fun.”

“Are you going too?”

“Yeah. Ryon has my weapon. That’s yours. Hopefully, we’ll take them out before you run out of ammo.”

“I have some spells I can use too,” she smirked. 

“Don’t rub it in. Is it true you can’t be controlled?”

“Oh, by vampires? Yeah.”

“Lucky. You want to come with us?” Taka motioned outside.

She nodded and headed out.

“Catch!” Ryon tossed a grenade launcher to Taka as they emerged from the building. The phoenix caught it one handed with a grin. Yamae gave a salute to Andy.

“Nice to be graced with your presence. Makes me feel lucky.” He was kneeling beside a box of large missile shaped objects.

Andy chuckled in response. 

The radio crackled. “Enemy spotted. About one klick from the main gate.” Daiki’s voice was quiet. “As soon as they step foot in, let them have it.”

Andy got her rifle ready while thinking through the best spells to use.

There was an explosion in the distance and Yamae grinned. “Did somebody step wrong?”

Ryon let out a dark chuckle as Daiki’s voice returned. “FIRE!!!”

Andy looked at the others before watching for any approaching enemies.

A mass of dark figures materialized in front of them. Suddenly they burst into flames as Taka fired the launcher. They fell, but more quickly took their place as gunfire was heard from the other side of the base.

Andy started firing at them while at the same time muttering killing spells.

Yamae was suddenly yanked forward, a vampire sinking their fangs into his neck. Ryon shot it, but then disappeared under several more.

Taka swore, reaching for another grenade as a vampire leapt onto his back. He fell to the ground with a cry as blood spurted from his neck.

Andy rushed over, reciting a healing spell to help close the wound after she said a killing spell to kill the vamp that was on him. She then shot at the vampires attacking Ryon, hoping to get them off him before it was too late.

They hissed as the rounds set them alight. Ryon lay still, blood spreading around him.

Andy knelt quickly, saying a few healing spells to prevent further blood loss before standing and aiming at the new vamps that appeared. 

Taka was suddenly beside her, his finger firing the launcher. As the smoke cleared, empty air met their eyes. No more vamps appeared as a gigantic explosion blossomed on the other side of the base.

Andy looked at Taka with concern, “We should go see if they need help.”

“That was one of the backup plans. They definitely need help if Daiki is setting those off.” Taka ran for the battlefield.

Andy quickly followed behind him, unsure what to expect.

A horde of vampires were swarming the team. Tsukasa and Daiki were back to back firing at a rapidly enclosing circle of them. Several were feeding on fallen team members and Taka hissed. He shifted to his phoenix form, shooting fireballs at the feeders. “Get away from them!”

Andy shot at the circle surrounding Daiki and Tsukasa while muttering spells to take even more of them down. She cursed when she noticed a few start to turn toward her.

A fireball hit them and they vaporized. Taka was struggling to stay aloft, his wings slowing. Then he started to fall into several vampires.

Andy said a spell to catch him and bring him safely to the ground before firing at the vamps.

They fell and everything went quiet.

Then a vampire emerged from a base window, Tet under his arm. He started to rise into the sky.

Andy quickly shot him down, rushing over to Tet to check him over.

Blood covered his neck, two punctures visible. His pulse fluttered weakly under her fingers.

She said a spell to close the holes, then said another spell to try to get his pulse even. She lifted him and carried him back into the infirmary before setting up a barrier around him to protect him from further harm, then went out to see how she could help the others. One by one she lifted the injured or dead and carried them into the infirmary.

Daiki and Tsukasa staggered in, supported by Kai and Ryusei. 

“We won, at least for now. Should have expected a sneak attack on him.” Tsukasa growled. “I’m a fucking idiot.”

“It’s alright,” Andy tried to calm him. 

“Is it? He got fed on. Means more virus to mess with him.” Tsukasa limped to a corner and slammed his hand into the wall.

Andy sighed but stayed silent, working on healing the still living before moving onto the dead. She focused on the three at once, gold light spreading out around them until they sucked in air.

Tsukasa resisted being healed, trying to limp out of the infirmary.

Andy said a spell that stopped him, his body stiffening. She said the healing spells then released him.

“Not fair. I’m your boss now you know.” Tsukasa glared at her as Daiki tried not to laugh.

“I’m just doing the job you hired me for.”

“Smartass.” He sat down, gaze locked on Tet. “Why aren’t you pissed at me?”

“Why would I be?”

“He almost got taken because I put everyone outside. I should have stationed someone in here.”

Andy shrugged, “None of us thought of it. He’s alive and that’s what matters.”

“I guess so.”

“Think they’ll try again?” Daiki asked.

Jack shook his head. “Doubtful. They lost a lot of people and they’ll have to regroup before anything else.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Let me go!” Tet struggled in the restraints, his eyes flashing. “Please, just let me go so I can feed.”

“I can’t do that. I’m sorry,” Andy said sadly as she watched him. She tried to think of ways she could help him since the spell wasn’t working as well as she’d hoped.

He growled for a minute, then sighed. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have saved me.” He laid his head back, staring at the ceiling. “I’m so hot.”

“I’m sorry, I’m working on trying to help..” She went and got a cool rag and placed it on his forehead.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “This really sucks.” He was silent for awhile, then spoke softly. “Is it worth it to keep fighting?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

He opened his eyes. “This is what I am. I’m not a vampire or shifter, but a mix. I’ve denied this part of myself because it will supposedly kill me. What if that’s not true though?” He looked at her. “I’m tired of fighting. I feel so much older than I am. Maybe I should just stop and let whatever happens happen.” He grimaced as pain shot through his chest.

She sighed, going back to the computer screen she was staring at, trying to come up with an answer. She tested different spells and medicines on blood samples trying to come up with the best way to help him. “You’re tired of fighting, then let us fight for you. I’m not just giving up.”

He smiled softly to himself as Kiba and Daiki entered.

“How’s he doing?” Kiba glanced at his friend in concern.

“He could be better. I’m still working on different ideas, he keeps complaining, so not much has changed.”

The two snickered softly, then Daiki spoke. “He’s still breathing, so of course he’s complaining.”

Tet rolled his eyes. “I heard that, fang face.”

“Good.” Daiki went to his side. “Don’t you dare quit cause then I’ll be worried. You can beat this.”

Tet gave him a small grin, his hands twitching. “Just give me a bag…”

Daiki’s eyes narrowed. “Can’t do that.”

Tet’s eyes flashed as he hissed, thrashing on the bed. Then he stopped with a gasp. “Feels like I’m burning inside..” His breathing increased, becoming a pant quickly. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Andy stood and went to him, reciting a spell to help with the burning sensation. She stared at him with worry before going back to the computer. She was growing more and more frustrated at herself for not being able to fix him faster. She typed quickly, trying more and more ideas, cursing when things didn’t work out.

Kiba massaged her shoulders. “You need a break. We’ll watch him.”

“I _need_ to find an answer,” she replied before looking down, “Nothing I try is working.”

“Andy.. stop.” Tet’s voice was soft. “There’s only one thing you can do for me now.”

The other men stared at him. “No.”

Andy looked at him sadly, continuing to think of ideas. Finally, her mind clicked on something. She turned back to the computer and tried figuring it out. 

“I can feel it trying to consume me. _Please_. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I can’t control myself..” Tet lunged upward, grabbing Daiki as the restraints broke. His fangs flashed as he aimed for the other vampire’s throat.

Andy said a spell, freezing Tet to stop him from moving. She didn’t even look up from the computer as she continued to type.

Daiki exhaled sharply as he saw tears in Tet’s eyes. He moved back to Andy slowly. “That was close.”

Kiba hung his head. “Maybe Tet’s right. Not like we haven’t prepared for this.”

“Let me try something to see if it’ll work. Can you put him back in bed and re restrain him?”

They nodded, doing as requested.

Kiba took a small syringe out of his pocket, staring at it sadly.

Daiki’s eyes widened. “You really think it’ll come to that?”

Kiba took a deep breath. “Sure as hell hope not.”

Andy went to Tet’s side, raising her hands up to focus as she started reciting spells. This continued on for the next hour, occasionally pausing to inject medicines. When she pulled away, she took a blood sample and went back to the computer to test it. She undid the freezing spell and looked at Tet, “How are you feeling?”

He blinked rapidly as he considered the question. “Different. The hunger is gone, like it never existed. What did you do?”

She went over to him and took the restraints off slowly. “Can you shift still?”

He shrugged, then took a deep breath and tried. His white fur blew softly in the air conditioning as his gold eyes met hers. _“Guess so.”_

“Good,” she smiled at him.

He reverted, raising an eyebrow as he sat up. “You going to tell me or is it a secret?”

“Well, you know how I spent all that time analyzing shifter vs. vampire DNA? I got the idea to rewrite your DNA to just shifter, so there’s no vampire parts left in it. It’s a lot more complicated but that’s the basics.”

All three men stared at her in shock.

Daiki spoke slowly. “Can you do that for anyone?”

“I mean, I could try. I’m still surprised this worked. But it might be more complicated with someone else, since he had parts of both in his DNA, whereas someone who is all one or the other would have full DNA of that typing, and I’d have to try to rewrite it entirely...” She looked thoughtful as she trailed off.

Daiki nodded. “I get it. Just a question.”

Tsukasa entered, then stopped. “What’s going on?” He glanced at Tet in confusion.

“I think he’ll be alright now,” Andy gave Tet a small smile.

The dragon nodded slowly. After a minute, he spoke. “The clans have requested conclave again. Tet and Andy only.”

“No way in hell.” Kiba shook his head.

“Me?” Andy looked confused.

“Maybe they respect you now?” Daiki looked thoughtful.

“I’ll go. Settle this once and for all. Especially if this spell worked perfectly, the vampires will respect my decision.” Tet stood, only a little shaky.

“I’m not letting you go alone. I’ll go too.”

Kiba scowled. “Better come back in one piece or I’m going to be pissed.”

Tet grinned at him before dizziness made him sit down hard. “Woah.”

Tsukasa nodded. “Fine. Tomorrow evening. Tet knows where.” He turned and left.

Daiki and Kiba said their goodbyes, disappearing into the hall before Tet spoke again. “You don’t have to babysit me.” His tone was slightly petulant.

“I’m not trying to babysit you, I’m just trying to help.”

He chuckled. “Don’t mind me. I’m just exhausted. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” 

“Help me? My brain won’t shut off.” He lay back on the bed with a thump.

Andy sat down next to him, running her hand through his hair, “Why won’t it shut off? What are you thinking about?”

“Everything. This meeting, what happens now that I don’t have a death sentence over my head..” He met her eyes. “Us.”

She gave him a soft smile, “Just focus on something simple, like your breathing or my hand in your hair, and you’ll fall asleep in no time.” She kissed his forehead and went back to rubbing his hair.

He grinned, leaning into the touch and closing his eyes. Slowly he began to relax, his breathing starting to even out. His voice was sleepy as he spoke again. “Thanks for not giving up. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said quietly.

His lips curled and he let out a contented purr as he slipped into a deep sleep.

Andy continued rubbing his hair for a while longer before curling up in the chair and falling asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

“Why did you not put him down? Or call my scientists?” A loud voice echoed in the hallway. “You had your orders if he became a danger.”

“Because I’m not in the habit of killing my own men, _ sir _ .” Tsukasa’s voice was strained.

“He’s a monster. You don’t have the luxury of habits. You should have killed him after his attack. Obviously you can’t be counted on to make the hard decisions.” A second later, the voice was yelling in the infirmary. “Lieutenant Kanamoto! Wake up!”

Tet groaned, opening his eyes. Then he froze.

Andy blinked her eyes open at the noise, sitting up in the chair.

A tall uniformed figure stood scowling at Tet, who raced to stand and salute. “You’re coming with me. Get your gear.”

Tet shook his head. “Sir, I’ve been medically cleared to rejoin my squad.”

The man sneered. “By who?  _ Her? _ ” His eyes scanned Andy, then dismissed her. “You attacked your commanding officer. You’re under arrest, to be confined to the scientific branch until a decision is made regarding your permanent status. Get your gear.”

Tet went pale, his legs shaking. “Please. Sir. I’m fine now.”

The man glared at him. “We’ll decide that. You should have never been released in the first place.”

Tet’s voice grew panicked. “Put me in the brig. Anywhere but the scientists.  _ Please. _ ”

“He’s not going to hurt anyone,” Andy spoke up angrily. “He’s just a shifter now.”

“What would you know about him?” The man turned the glare on her. “You’re a civilian. You have no experience in this situation. Don’t involve yourself in this.” He turned back to Tet. “If you don’t comply, I will have no choice than to make you comply.” He removed a stun baton from his coat.

Tet’s face went white and he started for the door, his breaths rapid.

“First off,  _ sir _ , I’m a medical doctor and a witch. Just because I’m a civilian doesn’t mean I’m inexperienced. Secondly, I just have to say, you’re a terrible father. Third, if you don’t leave right now, I  _ will  _ hurt you.”

“ _ Andy! Drop it please…”  _ Tet’s voice echoed in her head. “ _ He will punish the squad if you don’t stop..” _ He was shaking, holding onto the doorjamb tightly.

She muttered the telepathy spell, “ _ No. You don’t deserve to be treated like that. He’s an asshole, and I’m going to treat him like one.” _

Tet couldn’t resist the chuckle. He straightened and turned. “Sir! I respectfully refuse.”

The man quickly crossed to the shifter’s side. “You refuse?” 

Suddenly there was the smell of ozone and Tet dropped to the floor. The uniformed man began to raise a radio to his lips.

Andy quickly said a spell and focused it on the man.

He froze, the radio halfway to his mouth. 

Andy went to Tet’s side to check on him.

He was unconscious, a burn mark visible on his shirt over his heart. She went to check on it, touching it gently. She suddenly saw visions in her mind.

_ White coats injecting a young boy with various drugs, scribbling notes as he thrashed and cried. _

_ The same boy, older now, tied to a stake and set on fire. Being put out, but not treated as the same coats discussed regeneration limits between shifters and vampires. _

Andy growled, turning toward the frozen man and remembering a spell Seltain had taught her. He once made her use it on Tet, and though she never thought she’d need it, in her anger it was the best thing she could imagine for the man. She recited the spell by memory and watched with a slightly evil grin on her face.

His uniform shirt vanished as the skin was peeled from his body. His eyes went wide as his chest split open, revealing his heart.

Andy said another spell, watching his heart be crushed before the rest of the body collapsed.

She went back to Tet and said a healing spell, then moved him back onto the bed.

Tsukasa slowly entered, freezing as he saw the body. He looked at her in shock “Andy? What did you  _ do _ ?”

“I warned him.” She answered, running her hand through Tet’s hair.

“He was the head of this squad.. We’re going to be in trouble if the higher ups find out.” He paused. “What exactly happened?”

“Well, I told him to leave, and then he shocked Tet. And so I froze him, and then I saw Tet’s memories and I got so mad that I just...”

“His memories? What are you talking about? What memories?” Tsukasa stepped over the body and slowly approached them.

“I don’t know how I saw it.. maybe since he got shocked when I had the telepathy spell active? Anyway, he was little and there were scientists drugging him and then another one he was set on fire..” She looked down. 

Tsukasa stared at Tet in horror. “The bastard let them do that to his  _ own son _ ? My god…” He went silent.

“So I remembered a spell Seltain taught me, figured it might be a good one..”

“What do we do now? We have to get rid of his body..” Tsukasa began to pace. “At least he drove himself.”

“I’m sorry.. I’d put him back together and revive him but we’d probably be in more trouble from him..”

Kiba entered, firing a round from his gun into the body. It began to smolder, then caught fire. In seconds, there was nothing but ash left. The wolf spit on it in disgust. “Problem solved. Good riddance.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before sighing, “I’m sorry if this causes you guys trouble.”

Tsukasa shrugged. “What trouble? General Kanamoto never arrived here. We never saw him.”

Kiba laughed before crossing to Tet as he groaned and blinked his eyes open. “Where? What happened?”

“Congrats. You’re now an orphan like the rest of us.”

Tet gave him a confused look.

“I  _ might _ have gotten a bit too angry with him,” Andy said softly.

Tet glanced at the pile of ash silently before looking at her. “This is my fault.”

“How? You didn’t make him an asshole.”

“I lost control, attacked Boss. That’s why he came to take me. If I hadn’t, he would never have come.” Tet curled into a ball. “I should have stayed with the scientists. If you guys get in trouble…”

Andy wrapped her arms around him, “Everything will be alright. We’ll figure it out. Don’t blame yourself.”

“Can’t help it..I was so scared of going back. The thought of going through that again..” He trembled in her arms.

“I know, but you don’t have to go back. I’ll make sure you never get taken back there.”

He took several deep breaths, trying to control himself. Suddenly he broke away, racing through the door.

Kiba closed his eyes and growled. “ **Sonofabitch** ! Wish I could have killed him.”

Andy stood there for a moment before going to the door.

Tsukasa sighed. “Kiba, go dump the car. Check for any documents first.” 

Andy headed out of the room to go try to find Tet. 

Tet clambered into the bomb shelter, missing the last ladder rung and hitting the ground. He lay there stunned for a moment, then crawled on his hands and knees towards the darkest part of the room. He ignored the throb in his head, trying to curl as small as he could. He shook uncontrollably, his eyes distant as memories he had tried to bury overwhelmed him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the smell of burning flesh and the sound of his own screams. The relentless pain as the scientists poked and prodded his raw skin, chattering about regeneration and pain thresholds. The wish to die washed over him once again and he gritted his teeth. He reminded himself that the bastard was dead-- _ Andy had killed the general to protect him! _ She’d put herself in mortal danger just because he’d been threatened… He choked back a terrified sob. He was such a weakling.. His head shot up as he heard a noise.

Andy entered slowly, “Hey, are you alright?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m so sorry you had to meet him. I can’t understand why you killed him over me though. I was going to go with him to spare you guys. I..” He trailed off as more memories hit, ducking his head. The hunger.. He bit back a growl and backed further into the darkness. “I’m such a liability..”

She approached and wrapped her arms around him, “It’s not your fault. And you didn’t want to go, so I wasn’t going to let him take you.”

He clung to her as he tried to stop shaking. “The memories are terrifying. I try to bury them, but…”

“I wish I could have saved you from them and I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. If I could take your memories I would.”

He turned horrified eyes to her. “Don’t tell me you know? Did he tell you?”

“What? What you went through?” She sighed, “I saw some of your memories.”

He let out a strangled whimper. “Oh god...You shouldn’t have been subjected to that..”

Andy held him close, running a hand through his hair, “It’s alright. I’m just worried about you.” She kissed his forehead, “I just hate that you had to go through that.”

He closed his eyes. “So tired..”

“Just rest. Don’t worry about anything,” she said softly.

“Andy? We need you in the infirmary.” Jack climbed down the ladder cautiously.

Andy sighed looking at Tet, “Let’s get you up to your room? It might be more comfortable there.” She helped him up. She glanced at Jack, “What’s up?”

“Tet wasn’t the only one he was delivering to the scientists.” Jack scowled.

Andy scowled, “Can you get Tet to bed and keep an eye on him? I’ll be in the infirmary.”

The vampire nodded, lifting Tet over a shoulder and quickly going up the ladder.

Andy went to the infirmary, entering slowly.

Taka was anxiously holding another man’s hand. “Wake up, please.” His other hand brushed through the man’s blond hair.

Andy approached, checking the man's vitals and saying spells to heal any damage he might have. 

Taka gave her a grateful smile. He sighed in relief as the man stirred.

“Oww.” He blinked dark eyes open and stared. “Taka? Where?”

Taka grinned at him. “You’re at the Farm. Meet our new doctor, Andy.”

The phoenix turned to her. “Meet my twin, Akira.”

“Nice to meet you,” Andy gave a small smile.

Akira bowed his head. “Where’s that asshole? I want to hit him repeatedly.”

“He’s been taken care of.”

He stared at her quizzically before sighing. “Damn.”

She chuckled, “Sorry. How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly okay given he used me as a punching bag.” Akira eyed her quietly.

Andy scowled, “Wish he was revivable so I could kill him again.”

Jack entered, heading for the medicine cabinet. “Tet is panicking in his sleep.”

Andy frowned and went to the cabinet, looking and grabbing something. “I’ll take care of him.” 

Jack nodded, waving at Akira. “Long time no see birdboy.”

Andy headed out toward Tet’s room. She entered slowly and watched for a moment before injecting the medicine in his arm. She sat beside him, watching him sleep.

Kiba laid a hand on her shoulder. “I want to say thanks for killing that creep. Maybe now Tet can lay some demons to rest.”

“I really hope so..” Andy looked up at Kiba, “Honestly, I’m surprised no one has killed him sooner.”

“Well, there was the little thing of being Boss’ boss ya know.”

“I mean, I’m still new here and all, but that obviously didn’t stop me. But I get it.”

“Believe me, if he’d been lower on the totem pole, Boss would have flash fried him a long time ago. Plus, he only knew part of the story. I know what happened with the scientists, which is why Tet kept me away when the General visited.” He scowled. “How the  _ fuck _ do you let those things happen to your own son?”

Andy shook her head, “I don’t know.” She sighed and looked back at Tet, “Do you think he’ll be alright?”

“Give him a little time. I’m sure he’ll be fine. How’s birdboy number two?”

“He’s doing alright.” 

“Nice to hear. The General reassigned him a while ago to his office. Been worried.”

“That must have been terrible.”

“Yeah. Took Taka some time to adjust since they’d never been apart and share a neural link. Used to have to spend half the night trying to calm him down. He wouldn’t tell me what was going on, though.”

Andy frowned, “That’s horrible they had to go through that.”

Tet murmured her name, a smile flicking over his face.

Kiba chuckled.

Andy smiled softly. “It’s still crazy to me how in love he is with me, especially when I just met him.”

Kiba looked at her. “You don’t know? He had visions of you when he was younger. He told me those were the only thing that kept him sane growing up.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Seriously?”

He nodded. “He said they started the first time he got sick. A black haired, blue eyed woman came to him and took care of him. When he recovered, she disappeared. But every time he got sick or hurt, she showed up to comfort him.”

Andy sighed, “That’s interesting.”

“We all thought he was crazy until we saw your file. Tet was stunned, but then he became a taskmaster. We weren’t allowed to relax at all with guarding you. You remember last month when that car rear ended you? He went ballistic that we hadn’t stopped it.” The wolf chuckled. “Had to remind him we were supposed to be covert.”

Andy chuckled, “That must have been rough.”

“Only took a few slaps.” Kiba grinned.

Andy laughed in response.

Tet’s eyes shot open, staring at the ceiling. His breathing slowed to normal, then he glanced at them. “Something happen?”

“Other than discovering Akira in the trunk of asshole’s car? Nope.”

Tet sat up sharply. “What the fuck?”

“He’s okay, don’t worry.”

“What time is it?” He looked out the window worriedly.

Andy glanced at the time, “It’s about five. Why?”

He relaxed. “Gotta make nice with the vamps tonight. But not until later.” He stretched, then blushed as his stomach rumbled.

“Oh yeah, I already forgot about that..” Andy admitted.

He rolled his eyes before standing up. “Wish I could.” He rummaged around his bag, coming up with a ration bar.

“Do you want me to cook something for you?”

“You shouldn’t have to take care of me so much.” He sat down with a sigh. “I cause way too many problems for everyone.”

“Here comes the pity train…” Kiba whispered to her. “I’m out.” He headed down the hall.

“No you don’t,” Andy sighed. “And my job here is basically to take care of everyone.”

“Physical injuries and food, not mental instability.” He stared at the floor morosely.

“Look, we haven’t really labeled what we are, but I’m basically like your girlfriend. It’s my job to help you through things.”

“You deserve a better boyfriend than me. All I do is drag you down.” He ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.

“No you don’t,” she sat beside him, “I love you, okay? I’m here with you no matter what.”

He met her gaze. “You’re amazing. I love you so much, I don’t want to hurt you in any way.” He kissed her softly.

“You’re amazing too.”

“You think so?” He gave her a raised eyebrow.

“Of course,” she squeezed his hand.

He chuckled softly, squeezing back.

Tsukasa knocked on the door jamb. “Am I interrupting?”

Andy shook her head, “No it’s alright. What’s up?”

“Wanted to check on him. He took off so fast, I was worried. Our problem isn’t a problem anymore, by the way. I straightened things out.” He pointedly didn’t look at her.

“That’s good,” she said quietly.

“Glad to see you’re okay.” He looked away. “Gotta go pack.”

“Pack for what?”

“The MPs will be here soon. Have to be ready.” He gave her a sad smile. “Here’s hoping the conclave goes well.”

“What are the MP’s doing?”

“Escorting me to the brig.” Tsukasa’s voice was slow.

“Because I killed him? Or something else?”

“Because  _ I _ killed him.” He looked at her defiantly.

“You don’t have to take the fall for this. It was on me, if anything I should be in trouble,” Andy looked at him sadly.

“I can’t let you do that. You’re needed. I only give orders and annoy everyone.” He tried to joke.

Andy shook her head, “You’re probably more important than I am. You keep this team in order.”

Tsukasa laughed as Tet growled. 

The tiger stood, grabbing the dragon and shoving him against the wall. “How can you do this? You know what they’ll do to you!”

“And I can’t let you take the fall for something I did,” Andy added.

“This _ is _ my job.” Tsukasa slapped Tet’s hands away. “You guys are under my command. I’m responsible for anything you do. I shouldn’t have left you alone with the General in that situation. But I did and now I have to face the consequences.”

“I shouldn’t have killed him in the first place. I should be better than that, but I wasn’t, and that’s on me. I refuse to let you just give yourself up for something you didn’t do.”

He glared at her. “Am I supposed to turn  **you** over to the scientists? No way in hell I’d survive that-- _ he’d _ kill me.” He nodded toward Tet who was visibly trembling with anger.

“You might not survive if they take you!”

Tsukasa hung his head. “Better me than you.” He reeled back as Tet punched him.

Andy watched in shock for a moment before saying a spell to freeze them. “You need to calm down.” She sat back down for a moment to think. She couldn’t let Tsukasa give himself up for something she did. She sat there in silence for a few minutes before unfreezing them again. 

Tet glared at her. “He’s committing suicide because of me! I  _ won’t  _ allow it!”

Tsukasa stared at him, his eye starting to blacken. “How are you going to stop me? The MP’s are already on their way. General Katshiro has already accepted my resignation.”

“You can’t do this,” Andy growled before looking at Tet, “And it’s not because of you, it’s because of what  _ I  _ did.”

“My father, my fault. I lost control and he came to get me. You wouldn’t have done anything if I hadn’t fucked up.” Tet slammed his hand into the wall. “He was right. I should have never left.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Let’s quit with the blaming yourself thing and move on to trying to fix the problem. There has to be a way that they don’t take you or Tsukasa.”

“We fight.” Daiki stood in the doorway, the rest of the team behind him. “They want anyone, they have to go through us.”

Andy nodded, “Sounds good.”

Tsukasa facepalmed. “Are you  _ all _ insane? They’ll either shoot you or take you with me.  **I’m** trying to protect you idiots!”

“And we’re trying to protect you.”

His jaw twitched once before he stormed past the men, heading for the base entrance. “Unless you guys want to experience witch history, don’t come after me.”

Andy said the spell to freeze him before looking at Tet, “Are you planning to fight or are you planning something stupid?”

Tet looked at her. “Define stupid.”

“Giving yourself up.”

He looked thoughtful as Kiba snickered. “You think you could stop me if the team interfered?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Get Tsukasa back inside and get ready to fight.”

Tet went outside and pushed Tsukasa back in, then whirled and slammed the door behind the dragon. The tiger murmured a spell as he stood outside.

Andy focused, thinking of Tet as she said the freezing spell, praying it worked before going to the door.

It wouldn’t open.

His eyes watched her impassively.

Andy said a spell to get the door to open before going out and grabbing him.

His eyes closed in defeat.

Andy lifted Tet and Tsukasa and took them to the infirmary, restraining them in beds before going back out to the others. “So, are we really fighting the military police?”

“Got any other ideas?” Kiba frowned.

“Boss isn’t wrong. They will only shoot us if we’re lucky.” Yamae looked worried.

Andy looked down, “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten angry and killed him..”

“They may have come anyway. Tet was under orders to report to the Scientific Branch.” Jack leaned against the wall.

“So fighting is our only option if we don’t want to give them up,” Andy sighed. 

“Unless you can get the other boss to call them off.” Daiki glanced at her quietly.

“How do I contact him?” 

Daiki pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. “Kaito for the General.” He handed the phone to Andy with a small grin.

Andy took it and headed into another room where the others couldn’t hear and waited, wondering how she’d manage to get him to call it off.

“What’s the problem, Kaito?”

“Hello sir, this is Andy Takimoto, the doctor Kadoya hired to help with the team. I’m calling about the orders to take in Tsukasa and Tet.”

“What about them?”

“I’d like you to call them off. I’m sure we can come to some kind of trade, I am a witch, I’m sure there’s something I can do to help you.”

“Trade? This isn’t a hostage situation, Miss Takimoto. Kadoya has confessed to killing a superior officer and Kanamoto is a danger to the team.”

“I’ve fixed the problem with Kanamoto, he won’t be a problem anymore. And Kadoya didn’t really kill him.”

“How did you fix Kanamoto? And what do you mean Kadoya didn’t kill the General?”

“Kanamoto is no longer part vampire. He’s fully shifter now. And like I said, Kadoya confessed but he wasn’t the one who killed him.”

“Who did?” The voice was demanding.

Andy sighed, “I did, sir.”

“May I ask why?”

“I was defending Tet, and then I got angry at everything he let them put Tet through.”

The line was quiet for several minutes, then the voice asked “Where is Kadoya?”

“I currently have him frozen so I could try to save him.”

There was a pause. “May I speak to him?”

Andy sighed again, “Just a moment, let me get him.” She walked out, passed the group and into the infirmary. She unfroze Tsukasa, “The General wants to talk to you...”

He took a deep breath, then spoke into the phone. “Yes sir?” He listened for several minutes, nodding a few times and replying ‘yes sir’ before sighing. He motioned her to close the phone as he closed his eyes. “I can’t believe you called him.”

“It was one of our last ideas.. What did he say?”

“Orders are rescinded. He bitched me out for confessing, then told me to be alert for the Scientific Branch. Apparently they are super pissed about not being allowed to study us anymore.”

Andy nodded, “So we’re all safe for now?”

He nodded quietly. “You two need to go.”

“Oh the conclave, right?”

“Yeah. With any luck the vampires will leave Tet alone aside from the rogues.”

She sighed and unfroze Tet.

Tet scowled at her before looking at Tsukasa. “We need to figure out how to knock  _ her _ out.”

“Sorry. I was just trying to help.”

“Slow your roll, Tet. She got us off the hook.” Tsukasa said tiredly.

Tet stared in disbelief. “What?” 

“I guess the orders got rescinded.”

Tet rolled his eyes. “Now that we have a miracle worker on the team, can I slack off?”

Tsukasa started to laugh quietly. “Like you do much in the first place?”

“We need to get going,” Andy reminded.

“Out of the frying pan into the fire.” Tet sighed.

Andy took his hand, “It will be ok.”

“Once they realize I’m no longer vampire, we may not get out of there alive.” He took a deep breath and climbed off the bed. “Let’s get this over with.”

“We can take them,” Andy answered, hoping she was telling the truth.

He gave a snort, then led her out of the base entrance. They walked for a while before stopping in front of a gothic looking inn. “Welcome to conclave.” He continued towards the door.

Andy kept holding onto his hand, unsure what to expect.

Entering, Tet kept a tight hold on her as he watched the clans milling around. “They fight each other almost as much as they fight us. This is the only neutral ground for the clans. Normally, we would be dead by now for daring to come.”

She squeezed his hand, “This will work out. I have faith.”

He gave her a worried smile as a vampire spoke. “Tetsuya, son of Zandra. Have you come to submit to the conclave?”

“No, I have come to break ties to the clans. I am no longer one of you.”

Andy watched their reactions, praying they’d let him go.

“You are Zandra’s son. You cannot break ties with the clans. You must become King.”

“He’s not a vampire anymore though,” Andy spoke up.

“Was he or was he not born from our Queen?” The vampire challenged.

Andy sighed, “But don’t you need to be a vampire to be the King? His DNA is rewritten, there’s no vampire left, which means he wouldn’t have her DNA anymore.”

“There are ways to return her DNA. He can no longer refuse his birthright.” The vampire nodded to a group nearby. “You are free to go as a mark of respect for your bravery in battle. He must stay. Take him.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Andy stood between the others and Tet.

_ “Andy, don’t be stupid. We knew this was a risk. Take your chance and get out of here.” _ Tet’s voice sounded in her head. Outwardly, he raised his hands. “I have your word she can leave unharmed?”

“I’m not leaving without you. I don’t care if I have to fight them all, I’m keeping you safe.”

“Please, Andy. Leave while you can.” His eyes were pleading. 

“I’m not leaving you,” she focused for a moment reciting a spell, freezing all the vampires in the room.

“Are you crazy?”

“Probably, but I’m going to protect you.”

The head vampire began to laugh. “Your powers  _ are  _ impressive. But you can’t fight me.” He locked eyes with Tet. “You’re staying. You will submit to the crowning.”

Tet’s eyes glazed, then he nodded. He began moving toward the vampire.

Andy grabbed his hand, stopping him from going further. She started muttering spells under her breath, focusing them on the head vampire.

Tet looked at her blankly. “Must submit.” He tried to pull free.

She said a spell in hopes to counteract the vampires control.

Tet’s eyes rolled up and he sank towards the floor as the vampire hissed.

Andy recited a killing spell, focused on all the vampires in the room, both the head and the frozen ones.

Suddenly, they all burst into flames. The head vampire began to thrash as he ran towards Tet. “He’ll join us.”

Andy rushed forward and stood in front of Tet to protect him. 

The vampire began to mutter, ignoring the flames engulfing him.

Tet didn’t move.

The vampire howled in fury, finally disintegrating into ash.

Andy took a deep breath before kneeling by Tet. “Hey, can you wake up?” She shook his arm gently. 

“Oww. I really hate it when they do that.” Tet’s eyes slowly opened with a grimace.

“I’m sorry,” Andy gave him a small smile, “I think we’re out of immediate danger though so that’s good.”

“Can we go now? I really would prefer to be with vampires who don’t want me to be their King.”

Andy nodded and held a hand out to help him up.

He sighed as he looked around. “Now that it doesn’t matter that I’m not vampire anymore.. I don’t know how to get out of this one. They won’t stop.”

“I’ll take out anyone who comes after you. Don’t worry,” she smiled before kissing his cheek.

He slightly blushed before he led her out and back towards the base.

When they got halfway there, they could see an orange glow in the sky. 

Tet froze. “No..”

“Come on, let’s hurry,” Andy started running toward the base.

Tet shifted, running ahead. He skidded to a stop as the base was shown to be engulfed in flames. “Bastards!” He ran in, looking for the team.

Andy finally caught up, saying a quick spell to try to protect herself before running inside.

Tet struggled to lift Kiba, the wolf dead weight.

Andy grabbed onto him and said the teleportation spell, getting them both out of the building, “Stay here.” She then teleported back in and continued to look for people. One by one she teleported them out, doing her best to avoid the flames. After getting a majority out she looked at Tet, “Who are we missing?”

“Ryusei and Ryon were on guard duty.” 

Tsukasa coughed harshly. “This wasn’t the vamps.”

Tet’s head was bowed as he cradled Kiba. “Who did this?”

“The Branch. They came looking for you. When I told them you weren’t a hybrid anymore, one of them released some kind of gas.” Tsukasa lay on the ground panting.

Andy scowled as she went through and worked on healing the men as she listened. “Where would Ryon and Ryusei be?”

“Guard house unless they were taken.” Tsukasa pointed to a small building several feet away. “We weren’t alerted to the Branch’s arrival like we should have been.”

Andy nodded, pausing a moment to cough from the smoke she’d ended up inhaling while saving the others. She then headed to the guard house, opening the door slowly.

Both porters lay still, blood pooling around them. They had no visible injuries.

Andy continued to look them over before saying a few healing spells just in case she missed something. She then carried them out to the rest of the group, finishing healing the others before working to revive the dead.

Tet rose to his feet, his eyes blazing. “I’m going to tear all of them apart!” His eyes began to glitter.

“Tet, calm down. We can go after them in a while but there’s more important things like finding shelter and getting the guys taken care of.”

“The barracks should be safe, at least for now.” Tsukasa sat up, meeting Daiki’s eyes and nodding.

Tet began to growl, his eyes glowing in the dark. He hadn’t shifted.

Tsukasa watched him with concern. “What happened at the conclave?”

“I killed everyone there...” Andy admitted, looking away.

“That good huh?” Daiki deadpanned.

“Well, they still wanted him, and I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

“They are stubborn.” Tsukasa backed up slightly as Tet’s eyes landed on him. “He’s not in control right now..”

Tet began to snarl, his claws extending as he stalked forward.

Andy quickly rushed in front of him, holding her hands up slightly, making a small barrier. As she tried to think of spells to use, she questioned, “Who or what is in control of him?”

“You tell me. Did the vamps try to pull anything?” He paused, then looked into the smoldering building. “The gas…”

“You think it’s the gas doing it? The vamps did try something but I don’t think it worked.”

“Kiba lost control too. That’s when he was shot.”

Andy nodded, trying to think of a spell to help. She finally said one and prayed for the best.

Tet stopped, his eyes reverting. “What happened?” He looked at her in confusion. Suddenly, his nose began to bleed.

She stared for a moment, “It was the gas affecting you.” She said a healing spell to try to combat the nose bleed.

He nodded slowly as he began to sway. “My head..” He wiped his nose on his jumpsuit, then coughed.

“Let’s get everyone inside the barracks. You need rest.”

Kai and Yamae stood. “We’ll take care of it.” They grabbed hands, encircling Andy, Tet, Daiki and Tsukasa.

Suddenly they were in Daiki’s room.

The porters disappeared and Tet headed for the door. “Unused room down the hall.” He held on to the wall as he walked, his steps slow.

Andy went to him, wrapping her arm around him to help him walk. 

He continued to cough, trying to catch his breath. “Maybe we’ll be lucky and they’ll think we’re all dead.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it. Hopefully we get a little break though. Today has been one thing after another.”

He gave her a small smile before his knees buckled.

Andy caught him, helping get him into the room. Once he was in bed, she sat down beside him.

“I’m sorry.” He coughed into his sleeve. 

She said a spell to help the coughing before asking, “For what?”

“Being born. None of this would be happening if I didn’t exist.” His eyes were dejected as he stared at the ceiling.

“Well, I’m glad you were born. And it’s not like you asked to be born, so it’s not your fault.”

He chuckled sadly. “Hold me? I don’t feel so good.”

Andy moved to wrap an arm around him, resting her head on his chest. 

He closed his eyes, drifting off.

Andy soon fell asleep listening to the comforting sound of his heart beating.

She woke the next morning, confused. Raising her head, she tried to figure out what had woken her. Suddenly she realized the bed was silent.

Andy quickly tried to find Tet’s pulse, not finding anything. She focused on trying to revive him, the gold light surrounding him.

He lay still, not reacting.

She tried again, tears starting to fill her eyes.

He jerked, sucking in a shaky breath. Then he stopped. A minute later, another breath.

She listened for his heart, confused as to what was happening.

It began to beat erratically in time to his breathing.

She recited multiple healing spells hoping one of them would help steady him out.

Slowly it stabilized, his breathing doing the same a minute later. He didn’t wake.

She laid beside him watching for a while.

There was a knock at the door.

Andy stood slowly and went to open it.

Tsukasa stood in the hall. He looked awful, his eyes bloodshot. He was coughing as well, blood staining his sleeve. “Andy, there’s something wrong with us..”

She frowned, “Tet had trouble too.. It must be something with the gas?”

“That’s what I think too.. But neither the vampires or Taka and Akira show any symptoms.” 

“Maybe they made it to attack those who had that ‘vaccine’?”

Recognition dawned in the dragon’s eyes seconds before he crumpled.

Andy lifted him and took him to where the others were, checking him over. She spent the next few hours reciting healing spells and checking vitals on everyone affected.

“What the hell happened?” Tet stood shaking in the hall.

“It’s effects from the gas. How are you feeling?”

“Like I just survived pneumonia again.. My chest aches. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, it’s not affecting everyone. I’m just worried about everyone. You really scared me you know. I woke up to find you dead and then I struggled to revive you..”

His eyes widened in shock. “The last thing I remember is you holding me. Then I woke up and you were gone.”

“I would have stayed if the others didn’t need help.”

He nodded sleepily.

Then Kiba began to whimper.

Tet’s eyes shot open. “That sounds like when he got caught in the trap a few years ago..”

“Think he’s having a nightmare? Or just feeling that bad?” She frowned, “I keep using healing spells on everyone but it’s not getting rid of everything..”

Tet grimaced. “Is it bad I hope it’s a nightmare?” He crossed to Kiba’s side, touching his cheek. “He feels like an oven..”

Andy frowned, saying a spell to lower his temperature. “I wish I knew how this gas fully worked.”

“Ask and you shall receive.” Daiki appeared with Ryon, holding a sheaf of papers which he handed her.

She looked through them, “I’d be interested to see what other things these scientists could come up with if they weren’t coming after us.”

Daiki shrugged. “That would be contingent on them not being total assholes.” He looked over at Tsukasa worriedly. “I think he looks worse than when I left.”

“Do you have a lab area I could use now that the one in the infirmary is gone? I could see about making an antidote.”

He pulled out a pocket map, pointing to a building. “This is the research building. We never used it.”

Andy nodded, using the teleportation spell to go there. She spent a while looking through the papers before finally figuring out what would counteract it. When she was done, she appeared back in the barracks and injected the medicine.

All the shifters instantly quieted, their breathing evening into sleep. Daiki gave her a thumbs up. Tet gave her a smile, leaning on the wall unsteadily.

Andy watched the shifters sleeping for a moment before going to hug Tet.

He returned the hug, lying his head on her shoulder. “You’re comfortable.”

She smiled softly, “You need some more rest. Let’s get you back in bed.”

He grinned sleepily. “Alright.”


	10. Chapter 10

Kiba staggered into the barracks, his eyes barely focused. In one hand is a bottle of sake, his other against the wall as he balanced himself. He looked around blearily, finally sliding down to sit on the floor. He took a long drink, wiping his mouth. He sighed as a door opened.

Andy took a long look at him before kneeling beside him, “Are you alright?”

He blinked at her for a moment. “Just drunk..and miserable. Doubt you can help..” He took another drink, tears appearing in his eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it at all?”

He looked up at her. “I knew it was coming if he found you, doesn’t make it hurt any less..”

She moved to sit next to him, “Knew what was coming?”

“That we’d be done. We’d be nothing but comrades. I thought I was okay with it, but I was lying to myself. Maybe I should request a transfer..”

Andy frowned, “I don’t know what you two have together exactly but I never meant to come between you.”

Kiba gave a chuckle. “I knew what was going to happen. You didn’t do anything. I’m just a needy wolf.” He waved the bottle. “Want some?”

“Sure,” Andy took it and smelled it before taking a drink.

He laughed, then watched her reaction.

She chuckled, “This is some strong stuff.” 

“If you’re gonna drink..” He trailed off, rising and kissing her lips wonderingly. He quickly backed off, his face turning red as he stumbled out the door.

Andy followed after him, “You should probably stay in if you’re that drunk.”

He tripped, sprawling as he began to tremble. “Don’t tell him..”

“Ok, don’t worry.” She knelt beside him, “Are you alright?”

“Feel like a giant girl, weeping over the boy who left for my best friend.” He closed his eyes as he turned over. “Don’t mind me.”

Tet walked over. “Is he drunk?”

“Yeah,” Andy answered as she stood up. “And I think you two should talk about it.”

Tet’s eyes widened. “What did he say?” His eyes belied his calm tone.

“From what I understand, the basics are he thinks you’ve left him for me and he’s upset about it.”

Tet bowed his head. “Shit..should have known.”

Kiba rose to his feet unsteadily, approaching Tet. “You’re happy and I won’t fight. I’m just sad that we’re over. Don’t worry about it.” He kissed Tet’s cheek softly, then began to weave away.

“Like I told him, I’m not trying to come between you two. If you still want to be with him, that’s fine,” Andy watched Kiba with concern.

Tet’s eyes narrowed. “You’d share me?” He face palmed as Kiba tripped and went down again.

“Whatever makes you happy. Like I said before, we’ve never really defined our relationship anyway. If you want to have two partners that’s fine.”

Tet gave her a small smile. “Help me get him inside before he kills himself by walking off a cliff or something?”

“Yeah, he definitely needs help,” Andy chuckled before starting toward Kiba and grabbing his arm to help pull him up.

He muttered something unintelligible as Tet grabbed his other arm. The tiger rolled his eyes and headed for the barracks. When he got to Kiba’s room, he laid the wolf down, then sat down in a chair and looked at her. “You curious?”

“About?”

He chuckled. “What wolfie is depressed about.”

“I figure if you want to tell me you will. It’s not really my business.”

Tet raised an eyebrow, then began to speak. “I met Kiba in the Branch. He’s a year younger, so I kinda adopted him I guess. He wasn’t well, his body originally rejected the ‘vaccine’ so the scientists spent almost as much time with him as me. We began to resist, not allowing the tests as we got older. We realized there was something more when we were 18 and started a relationship.” He looked at the wolf in chagrin. “Part of it was he needed desperately to belong somewhere since his parents signed him over to the scientists because he was a delinquent. I wasn’t even thinking.. He no doubt believes he’s alone again..”

“No wonder he got drunk. Do you think he’ll be alright?”

Tet sighed heavily. “I don’t know. We fought last night and he said something about finding somewhere else to belong. Did he say anything to you?”

“He mentioned maybe getting a transfer,” Andy nodded. 

Tet’s eyes began to fill with his tears as he looked at the unconscious man. “You idiot! Didn’t we promise?!”

Andy sighed, “Talk to him when he wakes. Hopefully you can fix things.”

“Can you fix it where he can’t run off?” Tet was close to panic, his knuckles white as he clutched the back of the chair.

“Alright, I can try to freeze just his body so he can’t move but not his head so he can talk and listen,” Andy looked thoughtful.

“Thank you.” Tet’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry for putting you in this spot, but transfer is a euphemism for turning himself over to the Branch, per the agreement with the military.”

“I’m happy to help. I don’t want anyone having to go there.”

“We’ll end up there eventually. But I won’t let him just walk in.” Tet’s voice was hard.

Andy nodded and looked down at the wolf.

“Just let me go. We knew from the beginning we wouldn’t last.” Kiba’s voice was resigned. “Maybe they’ll ignore the rest of you if they have something to study.”

“We’re not just letting you go there willingly,” Andy answered before doing as Tet asked and making sure Kiba’s body was frozen so he wouldn’t run.

Kiba growled half heartedly before yelping as Tet kissed him.

“You stupid furball. How could you think I’d leave you?”

“You have her.. I knew it would end someday..” The wolf stared at the blanket.

Tet snarled under his breath. “Can I hit him?”

“You probably shouldn’t.”

“Did I  _ ever _ say we were over?” Tet tried to keep his anger under control. “I love you just as much as I love her. So shut up.”

Andy smiled as she watched them.

Suddenly, Daiki popped his head in. “Party in the rec room. Unless you guys are busy?”

Andy shrugged and glanced at the other two, “Want to party?”

Kiba chuckled. “I was already started before you two got ahold of me.” He yelped again as Tet slapped him.

“We do need to relax.”

Andy unfroze Kiba, “Let’s go then.” She turned toward the door and headed into the hall.

Tet helped Kiba stand, then they followed.

Andy entered the rec room, looking around at everyone before going to grab a drink.

Tsukasa sat on one of the tables, drinking from a bottle as he listened to Jack.

The porters were in a huddle, visibly buzzed. They giggled among themselves.

The other shifters were engrossed in a game of twister. There was drunk laughter as Ryon went down in a sprawl over Zal.

Andy took a drink from hers before grabbing a few more drinks and taking them to Kiba and Tet.

The two gave her a smile as they stood by the door, watching the room.

Andy finished her drink before laughing. 

“Come play with us.” Zal waved at her, his movements off.

Andy went and grabbed a new drink before heading over to them to join.

Ryon relinquished his spot, wobbling unsteadily.

Andy started to play, giggling at the others who were more drunk than her.

“Left foot green, right hand red.” Ryusei managed to get out between chuckles.

Andy looked over at Kiba and Tet, smiling at them before stretching to reach the right colors.

They began laughing as Zal fell over with a snicker.

Andy rolled her eyes before chuckling.

“Announcement! We are possibly getting our freedom from the Branch.” Tsukasa’s eyes roamed the room.

Andy smiled, wondering why but staying quiet.

“Let’s just say honesty appears to be the best policy with our new boss.” Tsukasa winked at her.

She chuckled, taking another sip of her drink.

The room echoed with cheers.

Suddenly fireballs began landing outside the building.

Andy frowned, “What’s happening?”

Kiba looked out the door with a scowl. “Dragons. And I see some vamps too.”

Andy growled and headed for the door.

The others immediately shifted, following.

Kiba launched himself at a vampire with a shaved head, rolling away as he was backhanded. He shook his head, then rose growling. He lunged forward, then yelped as a silver dagger was embedded in his chest.

Andy rushed over, saying a spell to kill the vampire before putting a barrier up around Kiba. She removed the dagger, saying some healing spells. She left the barrier up around him before she headed back out to take down some more of their attackers.

Tet sank his teeth into one of the dragon’s arms, snarling as the dragon retaliated by breathing fire onto his back. He refused to let go even as the flame began eating through his clothing. The dragon screeched, then slammed him into the concrete. He gasped as the flame went out and the new pain began. The last thing he saw was the dragon’s flame aimed at him before losing consciousness.

Andy set up a quick barrier around Tet, rushing over and saying a spell to stop the dragon. She knelt beside Tet, checking him out before saying spells to help. She stood slowly, leaving the barrier to try to see if the others needed help.

Pain erupted as a fireball knocked into her. She quickly put the flames out, noting the burns on her arms. She said a quick spell to hopefully help before continuing on and taking down the dragon that shot the fireball.

Daiki went flying past her, a wooden stake in his chest. He slammed into the wall, then slid down.

Andy went about creating another barrier then removing the stake. She healed the wound closed before checking for other injuries. 

He had burns on his face and hands, one eye covered.

Andy focused her spells on him, light glowing as it worked on healing him.

The sounds of battle faded, until a scorched Tsukasa limped to her side. “He okay?”

“He will be,” Andy assured.

“Good.” The officer closed his eyes with a pained sigh.

Andy checked him over, saying a spell to help with the pain and injuries.

Slowly the team reassembled. Most of them had minor injuries. Jack sat away from them, his head bowed as he cradled Zal, red tears streaking his face.

Andy knelt beside him, checking him over and healing before focusing to revive him. The gold light surrounded Zal.

He began to breathe but it was slow and shaky.

Tsukasa glanced over at the other barriers. “How bad are Tet and Kiba? The vamps were using silver..”

“I think they’ll be alright, but I’ll check on them again.” She went over to Tet and began checking his vitals.

Tet’s eyes opened halfway. “Are you okay?” His voice was pained, his eyes semi unfocused.

“I’ll be alright,” she said quietly before muttering a spell to help with the pain.

Kiba let out a loud whimper, arching his back. There was silver residue on his skin, the knife liquefying as it lay on the ground.

Tsukasa cursed.

Andy went to Kiba, trying to gently wipe away the residue as she said a few more spells to help.

“Kiba?” Tet tried to crawl to the wolf. “Don’t let him die..” 

Tsukasa knelt beside the wolf. “We’re lucky it didn’t liquefy while it was in him. It’s deadly to wolves.”

Andy nodded, checking Kiba’s vitals. She said a final spell before helping Tet get to Kiba’s side.

The tiger gripped the unconscious wolf’s hand. “Stay with me.”

Andy continued to monitor Kiba’s vitals for a few more minutes before speaking, “Let’s get you two inside, okay?”

He nodded as Yamae teleported the three of them into a large room.

“Extra space. Maybe it should be the new infirmary?” Yamae took a deep breath.

Andy nodded, getting Tet and Kiba situated onto beds before sitting between them.

The porter waved, then disappeared.

Tet watched her for a moment. “Sorry about all this. I didn’t mean to hide our relationship.”

She shook her head, “It’s alright.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not. I’ll understand if..” He trailed off, dropping his eyes.

“It’s just something new to adjust to. It’s not like it changes my feelings for you.”

“Really?” His voice was soft, it’s tone unbelieving.

“Really,” she grabbed his hand and squeezed gently.

His eyes were soft as he met her gaze. “Thank you.”

She gave a soft smile, “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

He chuckled, then winced. “Alright. Think the vamps finally got the message?”

“Hopefully,” she sighed.

His eyes drifted closed, his hand still holding hers.

Andy continued to hold his hand, watching him as she sat there. Occasionally, though, she’d glance over and check on Kiba.

His eyes met hers. “Did we win?”

Andy moved over to his side, “Yea, I think so.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m sorry about before. Guess Tet’s not the only one to have a pity party.”

“It’s alright, at least things worked out, right?”

He gave her a wry smile. “Guess so.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than I expected. Thought I was a dead wolf with that damn silver.” He pushed himself up to sit. “The damn vamps are sneaky.”

Andy nodded in agreement.

Yamae materialized in a state of panic. “Did you see my brother after the fight?”

She shook her head, “You can’t find him?”

The porter shook his head frantically. 

“I did.” Tsukasa’s voice was grim. “Branch was behind this attack. They just contacted me. They want you.” He showed Andy the email.

“Why me?” 

“Who cares? They can’t have you.” Kiba growled.

“If it gets Ryon back...” Andy trailed off.

“Oh we’ll get him back alright but not by turning you over.” Kiba tried to rise, hissing.

“You need to rest more. Keep an eye on Tet and let us worry about rescuing him.”

He sent her a scowl, but nodded as Tsukasa thought aloud.

“Jack and Kenji can go with you. But you better come back safe.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll try my best.” 

Jack and Kenji entered, looking at her.

“Time to end this.” Jack’s voice was low, his fangs glinting in the light.

“Alright. Let’s go.” She gave a final glance at Tet before waving at Kiba and exiting the room. “Do you guys have an actual plan or are we just going in guns blazing?”

Kenji gave her a small smile. “We prefer stealth. We’re going to sneak in and grab Ryon while Jack here plays decoy.”

Andy nodded, “Sounds good.”

Jack snickered, then put a finger up to his lips. Kenji nodded as they left the building and headed away from the base. Soon a small tent base appeared and Jack smiled coldly.

The vampire suddenly disappeared, his speed taking him to the first tent. He stuck his head in. “Hi guys.”

The security poured out as he took off.

Andy whispered to Kenji, “Do we know what tent he’s in?”

He pointed to a green one. “Traveling lab.” He scowled, then shifted into a huge snarling hound. 

Andy started heading toward the tent, careful where she stepped to not make noise. She peeked in, not seeing many people but found Ryon laying on a table. She said a few spells to take out the scientists before grabbing Ryon. She turned to head out of the tent but she felt a prick in her arm. She looked and found a scientist smiling. She managed to get back out of the tent before collapsing, dropping Ryon to the ground.

A howl of agony broke the silence, then it was quiet again.

Andy woke, feeling the room spinning around her. She tried to break free from the chains tying her to the table but her limbs felt so heavy. Scientists surrounded her, watching her and talking. She couldn’t understand them though as they spoke quickly. She felt the pull of sleep and soon was unconscious once more.

Jack weakly lunged for the scientists, his heart hammering. “Where is she?!”

“Worry about yourself.” A scientist injected him with something. 

Jack cursed as he felt his energy disappear, his head dropping to his chest as he was bound. The faces wavered, then disappeared as the world went black.

Andy couldn’t focus enough to remember how many times she’d woken up, but every time she did remember the scientists above her. She felt so strange and wondered if it was the medicine or if it was experiments they were performing. Things must have been going well though as she noticed the scientists smiling before blacking out once more.

Jack’s eyes opened and he cursed. Why wouldn’t they just let him die? He didn’t have the energy to even hiss anymore as the scientists injected him with yet another drug. As his vision faded, he hoped it was the last time.

Andy woke once more, this time having a bit more energy. She was extremely aware of the scientists hearts beating, somehow able to hear it and the blood rushing through their veins. She fought against the chains, pulling hard. She finally got one hand free and she looked at it, finding a large black cats paw. She stared in confusion until she felt a prick and the world faded away again.

The scientists scowled as they looked down at the body. “Put it with the others. Once we’re done, we’ll autopsy them.” They filed out, then entered the tent where Andy was. “She ready?”

“Almost. Just a few more tests,” another scientist answered as he wrote things down on a clipboard.

“Let us know. The other subjects have succumbed.” The group exited silently.

Andy woke once again, this time feeling mostly awake. She felt a surge of strength as she pulled at the chains, finally breaking free. She jumped up, an extreme feeling of hunger taking her over. She felt fangs appear, and before she knew it she was on one of the scientists, biting into his neck. She quickly did the same with the other scientist in the room, the hunger only partially quenched. She found the clipboard they had been writing on, checking things over. She threw it down in anger as she realized what all they did to her. 

Running out of the tent, she quickly took down anyone she ran into, biting and draining them. She then found the tent her friends were being kept in, frowning when she noticed they were dead. She took some time to check them over, finding it much easier to resist the urge to bite them since they had no heartbeat. She said some healing spells to counteract some of what the scientists did to them before focusing on reviving them. The gold light surrounded them and soon enough she heard their hearts beating again. She grabbed onto them and said the teleportation spell. They appeared in the room she’d left Tet and Kiba in, and she quickly backed away from them, sliding down the wall and starting to hyperventilate.

“Andy!” Tet’s hands cupped her cheeks. He cursed, speaking to someone behind him. “I need blood now!” He focused on her, gently rubbing his thumbs over her cheekbones. “Andy? Breathe with me. Can you do that?”

She tried to nod and take a deep breath, her eyes shifting from their normal blue, to a deep green, to bright red.

He wrapped his arms around her, his neck resting by her mouth. His artery pulsed rapidly as he sighed.

She stared at it for a good moment, fighting the instincts to bite. She moved her hand up over his neck to try to make a barrier.

“Andy?” He looked at her in confusion before turning to the door as it opened. The blood bags in his hand almost glowed in her sight.

“Tet, please back up before I bite you.” She continued to stare at the blood bags.

“I’m not afraid.” He handed one of the bags to her, only moving a tiny bit away.

She quickly bit into it, draining it away in seconds. “I think I took out all the scientists at the base..”

“Good.” He handed her another bag. “Did you find Ryon?”

Andy looked over at the unconscious men she’d teleported in.

He followed her gaze, releasing a relieved sigh. “Okay. Just concentrate on regaining control.”

She nodded, “Oh, not only did they make me a vampire, I’m also a panther? I think?”

Tet exploded. “Those utter bastards! I’d kill them all if you hadn’t!” He balled his trembling hands into fists.

Andy sucked down another bag, staring at the ground in front of her.

He slowly calmed, his breathing heavy. “I hate to ask when you’re like this.. But they tried another raid after you disappeared..” He shook his head. “Never mind. We’ve already dealt with it for a week.” He handed her the last bag, rising with a grimace.

One hand clutched his side as she glimpsed red bandages. His skin was paling and he swayed unsteadily.

She quickly drained the last bag before shakily pushing herself up. She went to him and recited a healing spell, blue light surrounding him for a few moments. “It’s been a whole week?”

He winced, his voice weak. “Yeah. They attacked the night you left. Killed half of us, the rest of us injured. I’m in command at the moment..” He grabbed her arm as he blinked rapidly.

She helped him into a bed before asking, “Where’s the dead? I’ll work on them first.” 

“We put them in the freezer. There’s too many for you right now. Don’t overwork yourself.” He tried to rise in desperation. 

She pushed him back into the bed. “Let me worry about that. You just rest.” She headed to the freezer and started to look over the bodies.

Tsukasa lay with Daiki. The dragon appeared asleep, the vampire sporting multiple wounds. Taka and Akira lay still in phoenix form, their hearts impaled with iron stakes.

Yamae and Kai were barely recognizable, burned horribly.

Finally, she saw Kiba. The wolf had several silver bullets embedded in his limbs with a handle lying in the bag. Liquid silver had dried in the deep stab wound.

Ryusei appeared beside her. The porter was exhausted, bandages peeking from under his shirt. “They tortured him when he tried to protect Tet. Silver is poison to wolves so they shot him slowly. The dagger came after they’d tired of him.” He leaned on the table for support.

Andy said a few healing spells focused on Ryusei to try to help before grabbing supplies to start surgery to remove the bullets.

The porter murmured a thanks before he slumped into a chair, his eyes closing.

Andy spent the next several hours working on the dead, removing bullets and silver, healing up burns and giving them transfusions. She took a break and sucked down a transfusion bag, proud that she hadn’t bitten anyone yet with all the scent of blood surrounding the room. She reentered the room, continuing to make sure they were healed before focusing to revive them one by one. She felt herself getting more exhausted with each one she did, but she continued on anyway. She finally came back to Kiba, focusing the gold light onto him until he sucked in air. She watched him through half open eyes, leaning heavily on the table.

“You need to rest.” Tsukasa spoke quietly as he sat up.

Andy nodded, swaying as she pushed herself away from the table and started heading out the room.

Zal met her in the hall. He didn’t say anything, just picked her up and took her to her room. He laid her down, giving her a smile before leaving.


	11. Chapter 11

A black panther laid curled up in the blankets. On the outside she seemed peaceful, but in her head she kept seeing the scientists standing over her. More and more of what they were saying finally registered and she was sure she heard them refer to her as a weapon once or twice. Finally, as the nightmares got worse, her claws dug into the bed, creating deep gashes. She let out a quiet whimper as her mind spiralled away from the memories to scenes of her attacking the team and draining them like she had the scientists. Their screams echoed in her mind before she stood above a pile of dead bodies. The panther let out a sob, tears starting to drip down her face.

“Andy?” A hand gently caressed her fur. “Wake up.”

She blinked her eyes open slowly and looked up at the speaker.

Tet gave her a soft smile, Kiba behind him. “You okay?”

Andy opened her mouth to talk but realized she was shifted into a panther. She focused for a moment and shifted back to her human form. She looked down, “Sorry, just some nightmares.”

Tet crouched beside her, wrapping her in a hug. “Everything’s okay. Want some breakfast?”

She nodded slowly, “Alright.”

He moved aside as Kiba placed a tray table laden with food in front of her. “Takes a lot of energy to heal  _ and _ shift, so we cooked. Enjoy.” 

Kiba gave her a half smile as he stepped back.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “How are  _ you  _ feeling?”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about me.” 

Tet steadied him as he swayed with a grimace. The tiger sat him down with a sigh. “The silver is still causing issues. He might not be up to much for a while.”

Andy frowned, “I’ll see if I can find a spell to help..”

“Didn’t I say not to worry about me?” Kiba’s attempt at a glare was unconvincing. His eyes were pained, his body shaking with small tremors. “I’ll be fine. Hopefully.”

Tet rolled his eyes. “This isn’t like the mission five years ago. The amount you absorbed that time was tiny. This isn’t.”

Andy got up and grabbed her book, starting to look through it for anything relating to silver and wolves. She sat back down, continuing to search in silence as she ate.

Kiba scowled, unsteadily rising and heading for the door. “Incorrigible.” He left the room, Tet watching in concern.

Andy sighed, continuing to read. 

“He’s blaming himself for not going with you. He said he feels like you have to save him all the time and when you need him he can never help.”

“It’s not his fault,” Andy responded. “And I’m just trying to be helpful, it’s not like I’m asking for help back.”

Tet gave a sad chuckle. “I’ve noticed. But it goes against our nature to not help. Yoshi had to tie me down after you didn’t return because I lost control and tried to go after you. Then the attack happened..” He ran a hand through Andy’s hair. “I was so scared..”

“I’m sorry.” She sighed, “I should have been here to help you guys.”

“None of that now.” Tet cupped her cheek gently. “You were trying to save Ryon. You shouldn’t apologize.” He kissed her softly, then smiled as he pulled away. “Are you feeling better now?”

“I think so. Everything just feels so weird, it’s hard to get used to.”

“We’ll help in whatever way we can.” Tet smiled at her. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

She gave him a small smile, “Thank you.” She then glanced back down at the book and continued reading. After a few minutes she asked, “Where do you think Kiba went?”

“If he’s smart, back to bed. Why?”

“I found a spell that might help and I want to try it.”

“You want me to find him?” Tet rose from the bed.

“It’s alright, I can look for him,” Andy smiled and kissed his cheek.

“You sure you’re up for that?” His eyes were worried.

“I think I’ll be okay. It shouldn’t take too much energy to look for him.” She stood and hugged him before heading out of the room. She started with Kiba’s room, slowly opening the door, “Kiba?”

“You should be resting.” The words were slow, the wolf curled on the bed. His eyes had dark circles under them, his skin flushed. “Tet actually let you up?”

“I just wanted to come check on you. I found a spell that might help..”

He gave her a wan smile before coughing. “My own personal nurse. I feel special.” Silver residue coated his lips and he grimaced.

Andy fully entered the room and sat beside him on the bed. She focused for a minute before reciting the spell that was supposed to erase all traces of silver.

His lips turned pink, the silver vanishing. He took a deep breath as the burning sensation disappeared. “Wow..” His exhaustion started battling with his desire to remain awake.

She smiled softly, “Get some more rest.” She stood and started for the door.

“Why do you worry about us so much?” The question was slurred with sleepiness.

“You mean other than the fact that I’m a doctor and it’s my job? You guys are my friends,” she said quietly.

“We’re a band of misfits that were spying on you. I would have changed cities after Seltain..” He gave a half hearted chuckle.

“I don’t know, there’s just something about you guys. You’ve all become like a family to me.”

He smiled. “Family sounds nice..” He gave a tiny snore as sleep won the battle.

Andy gave a small chuckle before slipping out of the room. She then started heading back to her room.

Tet was curled up on one side, hugging her pillow to his face. His bangs were longer, almost covering his eyelids.

Andy slid into bed next to him. She watched him for a while, afraid to sleep again because of the nightmares.

He twitched, tears suddenly streaking his cheeks as he cried her name out. He began to tremble as he repeated ‘no’ over and over.

She gently shook his arm, “Tet, wake up. It’s just a nightmare.”

He shot upright, gasping for air. He groped for her shakily. “You’re alive..just a dream..”

“Yeah, I’m alive,” she assured as she put her hand on his cheek.

He wrapped his arms around her as he tried to calm down. 

“Everything’s okay,” she said softly, kissing him gently.

He kissed her almost frantically. “I can’t lose you. I won’t.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” she said, hoping it was true as thoughts of the Branch crossed her mind. She wondered if they’d be back after her, and if they did want her as a weapon, what did they intend to use her for? She kept the thoughts to herself though, not wanting to worry him further.

He finally stopped shaking, curling into her chest as his eyes closed.

Andy held him tightly, trying not to think of anything but right then and there, the two of them together.

A minute later, there was a knock at the door.

Andy released Tet, kissing his cheek before moving to open the door.

Yoshi gave her a smile. “Tet here?”

She nodded, “Yeah just a second.” She went back to the bed, “Hey, Yoshi wants you.”

He groggily blinked his eyes open, then nodded slowly. He yawned, then rose and went to the door. “What’s up?”

“Boss needs to talk to you. Branch contacted him.” 

Tet growled, eyes flashing. “Thanks. I’ll be there in ten.”

Yoshi nodded, turning and heading down the hall.

Tet’s claws were digging into the door as he kept growling under his breath.

Andy, who had heard mention of the Branch, was trying not to panic.

After a few minutes, he turned to her. His eyes widened and he ran to her side. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. Just breathe.”

“They want me back,” Andy said through fast breaths.

“If they do, they’ll have to go through us. But this might be in regards to what Boss mentioned at the party. We might finally get our freedom..” His voice was slightly hopeful.

Andy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “I hope you’re right..”

“Let me go find out. I’ll be right back.” Tet headed out the door.

Andy curled her legs up against her as she sat and waited, her mind replaying the memories of the last week over and over.

Tet re entered in tiger form. His eyes were angry, low growling reaching her ears. He lashed out, claws scraping the wall.

Andy stayed curled up as she watched, “Tet?”

_ ‘Bastards! They’re all dead men! Holding our freedom hostage for their sick ideas! I’m going to rip them apart!’ _

She sighed, looking back down at the bed.

After a few minutes, he shifted back to human. He curled into a ball, sobbing.

She got closer to him, putting a hand on him, “It’ll be okay.”

“You were right… they want to trade you for the cancellation of our contracts.” He balled his hands, hitting the floor violently.

She nodded slowly, “If I go, you guys would get the freedom you deserve.” 

He looked at her in horror. “Don’t you dare.. I won’t let you! I’ll die for good before I let them blackmail me!”

“Tet, you’re talking about the freedom of the  _ whole  _ group for one person. It makes sense.”

He shook his head rapidly. “You don’t get it. This is a team decision. We told the Branch to try to take you if they thought they could.  **None** of us are willing to trade freedom for you.”

She was quiet for a moment, “I’m just a doctor. I’m barely a part of the team. Why would you guys not take your freedom?”

“You’re our heart. When you joined, a piece we hadn’t known was missing was filled. You saved me from my own body. You have gone through so much because of us. It’s time we return the favor. Our freedom means nothing if you’re not with us.”

“How could we live with ourselves knowing you were in the hands of those butchers?” Yamae stood in the doorway, most of the team behind him nodding in agreement.

Andy looked up at them, overcome with emotion. “Thank you guys...”

Tet embraced her. “We’re family. No one messes with family and gets away with it.”

Andy nodded, “I think they were trying to turn me into some kind of weapon.. At least that’s what I’m understanding from my memories.”

Yamae scowled. “Let’s see how they like being the ones being hunted.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, holding tightly onto Tet.

Tsukasa appeared. “Well they are even stupider than first proven. They’re sending a representative to ‘discuss the matter’.” He snorted in derision.

“Can I bite them?” Andy chuckled again.

“Let’s hear his pitch. I need a good laugh. Then you can play Aztec futbol with him for all I care.” He gave her a wink before disappearing.

Andy sighed before glancing through the group. She looked back at Tet, “Why don’t you go check on your wolf? Make sure he’s still doing okay.”

He released her with a small nod before heading out the door.

Ryon moved through the crowd, finally standing above her. “You got a plan right? And thanks for coming after me.”

“You’re welcome. Any suggestions for a plan?”

He grimaced. “Given that Branch knows all our weaknesses? Not really.”

Andy nodded slowly, “You guys don’t want to give me up, but they know all your weaknesses.. I just don’t want you guys to get hurt. I’ll try not to give myself up, but you guys know I’ll do whatever I can to keep you guys safe.”

“We’d rather be hurt or worse fighting for you than let you walk into their arms.” The porter’s voice was hard.

Andy sighed, “We’ll figure something out.”

A howl was heard from down the hall. 

Ryon gave a chuckle. “Think we just got Kiba’s reaction.”

A black wolf suddenly ran through the group, it’s eyes blazing. It gave another howl as it stopped in front of her.

She raised an eyebrow at it.

_ “If you even consider giving yourself up, you’ll have to kill me permanently first.” _ Kiba’s voice was like ice in her mind.

She sighed, “Alright, I get it.”

He huffed a chuckle, then shifted as Tet reappeared.

“Moron.” The tiger ruffled Kiba’s hair with a half smile.

“Are you feeling all better now?” Andy asked thoughtfully.

“Like a new wolf.” He gave her a grin before sobering. 

Yoshi raised his radio to his ear. “The rep has arrived.” The words were laced with disgust.

Andy nodded, “Let’s get this over with then.” She moved to stand, stretching out before noticing her claw marks in the bed. She winced slightly before sighing.

Tet glanced at the bed. “I remember those days. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it. After we deal with asshole.”

“Alright,” she started heading out of the room.

The group followed her to the conference room, taking up positions around her as Tet and Kiba sat down next to her.

The rep was a creepy looking guy whose eyes danced when he saw her.

Tsukasa growled, diverting the scientist’s attention. “What do you want? Thought we made it clear what our answer was.”

The rep spoke, his voice annoying. “We are willing to void all contracts and pay a sizeable amount into your supply fund if you release her to us.”

Tet’s voice was brittle. “First off, we don’t own her so we can’t release her to anyone. Second, you think you can bribe us with money  _ and _ our contracts?”

“The contracts can’t be binding since  **we** never signed them in the first place.” Kiba’s eyes were flickering as he fought to keep his temper reigned in.

Andy listened in silence, afraid if she’d speak she’d do something wrong. She looked down at the table, wishing she wasn’t in this situation.

“If you don’t turn her over, we’ll have no choice but to take all of you in as renegades.” The rep gave a self satisfied smile as the room erupted.

The team shifted, closing ranks around her. 

Daiki licked his fangs. “I’d eat you but I don’t need food poisoning. You had better leave before we reconsider letting you.”

The rep sneered. “You can’t stop us. We’ll be back.”

Tsukasa and Tet spoke in unison. “Take your best shot.”

The rep scurried out of the room as the team reverted to normal.

Andy took a deep breath, glancing around the room before looking back down at the table. 

“We won’t let them have you.” Tet and Kiba whispered in her ears.

“Prepare to fight.” Tsukasa looked at her. “Protect Andy at all costs.”

Andy sighed and looked at Kiba and Tet, “I’m more worried about all of you.”

They gave her matching smiles. “We love you. We’re not afraid.”

Andy looked down, “I wish I wasn’t afraid. I’m almost more worried now than I was with Seltain..” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ll see about setting up a large barrier around the property.”

“Don’t wear yourself out. The idea is to protect you, not make you a patient in the infirmary.” Tsukasa gave her a look before glancing at the team. “You know the drill. They don’t step one foot into the barracks unless you’re dead.”

The team acknowledged and scattered.

Tet and Kiba took Andy back to her room. “Stay here. Don’t come out no matter what.”

“You’re not staying?”

“We’ll be on guard at your door.” They shifted and took up positions.

Andy closed her eyes and focused, working on creating a large enough barrier to protect everyone. 

An explosion outside shook the building as the shifters growled angrily. Their eyes blazed as the sounds of battle were heard. 

Andy cursed, trying to strengthen the barrier. When it didn’t work, she glanced out the small window and started muttering kill spells at the enemies she spotted.

Zal and Jack came into view, attacking a white coated man who calmly sprayed them with something from a canister. They burst into flame, falling to the ground and lying still. The man disappeared as Tsukasa released a jet of flame onto him in retaliation.

The dragon stiffened, toppling over as another enemy recited a spell.

Andy’s eyes filled with tears as she watched in horror. She said a spell to take down that enemy before letting out a sob. She wanted to go out and fight but she knew Tet and Kiba wouldn’t let her. She continued trying to take out enemies with spells as she watched her friends go down one by one.

Suddenly it went quiet outside.

Then she heard an agonized howl, followed by a roar of anger outside her door. Seconds later, it flew open to reveal several scientists.

Andy backed up in fear before muttering spells to start taking them down. She grabbed one that got close, ripping into his throat with her fangs and draining him before reciting more spells.

One shot something at her and she felt pain rush through her body. She fell forward, feeling them grab onto her. She bit into a hand that grabbed her arm as her hands turned to paws and she clawed the other scientist off of her. She was breathing heavily when she finally realized she had gotten through that group and she slowly exited the room to check on Kiba and Tet.

Kiba lay face down in human form, blood pooled around him. An empty canister marked silver was against one wall. 

Tet lay crumpled several feet away. It was evident he had multiple broken bones, his limbs bent the wrong directions. His head was covered in blood.

Andy sobbed as she knelt by them. Finally after a few minutes, she collected herself and lifted them, carrying them to the infirmary. She then headed out to start collecting the other dead and injured, starting with Zal and Jack. She gently carried their charred bodies inside and laid them on beds before going to get Tsukasa. She then started searching for more of the team.

Taka met her eyes sadly, Akira’s head in his lap. “Glad you’re safe.” He toppled into her arms.

She carried both inside, noticing the beds were quickly filling. She headed back out to see who else she could find.

Yoshi and Rei approached, Shouma and Kenji in their arms. The twins appeared to be barely conscious.

“Get them inside if you can. I’ll be in soon to help everyone.” She counted the members in her head and knew there was at least one or two more missing. The pain from whatever they shot her with was still racking her body but she worked through it, determined to find her friends.

She came upon four semi burnt bodies and froze as she realized it was the rest of the team.

She used a spell to lift them all up and took them inside. All the beds were now filled so she pulled a few cots into the room for the others. She worked on healing the living first, then moved onto the dead. She lost track of time as she worked, moving from one body to the next, healing up the specific injuries, whether it was saying the spell to get rid of silver for Kiba or special healing spells for the ones with burns. She glanced out the window and noticed it was now dark, so she knew it had been at least several hours but she continued working. When she finally got everyone as healed as she could, she stood in the middle of the room, focusing on all the dead. Multiple bodies shined as the golden light surrounded them. One by one they started breathing. She took a step forward toward where Tet and Kiba were laying but her legs gave out and she collapsed on the ground. She stayed there unconscious until the others started waking up.

Tsukasa quickly carried her to his former bed, then sat down with a sigh. The battle had been won, but at what cost?

Andy blinked her eyes open, sitting up quickly with a wince. She looked around the room to check on the others.

Tsukasa gave her a wan smile. “Are you alright?”

She looked thoughtful, “Most of the pain is gone and I’m not as exhausted anymore, so yeah I’m fine. It took a lot to revive everyone because most all of the team had died...”

“We told you didn’t we? The scientists weren’t going to get you unless we were dead.” The dragon grimaced as he glanced around the room. 

Most of the beds were still filled, the figures breathing but unconscious.

“The vampires are awake, as are a few of the shifters and porters. They’re patrolling in case the Branch wants to try their luck again. I’m worried they’ll try something while we’re down.”

Andy closed her eyes, “Maybe it would have been better for me to have just gone with them.”

“Absolutely not. They need to be shown we are people, not test subjects. Bad enough we were turned against our will. We will not bargain your life for our freedom.” Tsukasa stood and glared at her. “Do I make myself clear?”

She sighed, “Yeah.” She then laid back with a yawn. After sleeping a bit more, she woke again and looked around the room once more, noting a few more empty beds.

Tet made his way to her side. “Hey.”

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. More worried about you. When they broke through..”

She gave a small smile, “I took care of them.”

“I saw the aftermath. I’m sorry they got to you though. We failed.” He looked down at the floor.

She grabbed his hand, “It’s alright. Everyone is safe and alive, and that’s what matters.”

He shook his head. “I swore they wouldn’t get through. You’ll have nightmares because of my fuck up. I do nothing but hurt you.”

“Tet, please listen to me. I’ll be okay. It’s not your fault and I don’t blame you. You tried your best and I am so thankful for that. Alright?”

He lifted teary eyes to her. “Why do you keep forgiving me?”

“Well first off, I don’t think you did anything to forgive, but for two, I love you. I’ll always forgive you.”

He chuckled quietly. “You might rethink that when I tell you what’s happening.”

She frowned, “What’s happening?”

“We’re taking the fight to Branch. Not all of us, just a small team. We’re going to end this.” Tet kissed her cheek. “I leave in an hour with the other volunteers.”

“I’m going with you,” Andy decided.

“No, you’re not. This is to keep all of us safe, but especially you. No way are you walking into their headquarters.” Tet’s eyes were dark and grim. “We volunteered for a reason. You and the others are changing locations. Tsukasa has already given permission for you to return to the clinic if you want to.”

“I’m a part of this team, I have every right to volunteer to go too,” Andy said with a growl.

“We’re trying to keep you alive!” Tet’s voice became strained.

“And what if I want to keep you guys alive too? I can fight for myself, I’m not useless you know.”

“I know you’re not, but we found out what they were trying to do. If you walk in with us, you probably won’t walk out as the woman I love. They’re trying to take your mind.”

“Don’t I have the choice to fight anyway? Wouldn’t you want to fight if you were in my situation?”

He sighed in defeat. “We’re not really fighting. We’re turning ourselves in, then we’re going to detonate the explosives we have on us. With any luck, the whole building will go.”

Andy shook her head, “You’re all fucking idiots.” She climbed out of bed and headed down the hall to her room.

Tet watched her leave silently. His heart ached, but he pushed the feeling away. Let her hate him, just as long as she lived. He met with the others, then started packing the explosives.

Andy threw her stuff into a bag angrily before saying the teleporting spell to go home. She paced the dark living room for a few minutes before closing her eyes and focusing. They wouldn’t fight, but she would. She focused on the Branch and once more said the teleportation spell, finding herself standing outside a large building. She closed her eyes and focused, saying a few spells that would rain fireballs down onto the building. She then prepared herself for anyone who tried to escape.

The doors flew open, white coats pouring out of the burning building. There were a few soldiers too, pointing and yelling as they saw her.

An explosion from inside the building caused the ground to shake as the roof fell in.

She shifted, running at the white coats and soldiers and ripping into them with her claws. She growled as a few shots hit her but she continued moving to take them all down. When she finally got them all, she shifted back into human form, limping for a moment before focusing on the clinic and teleporting.

She sat in her office growling as she pulled a bullet from her leg. She sewed it up before doing an xray to find the other bullet, lodged in her abdomen. She gave herself a medicine to numb it before working on trying to remove it. 

There was a knock at the door.

She growled and pushed herself up, opening it.

Kiba took a step back in fear. “I’ll come back.” His face was smoke and tear streaked.

“Come in. What’s up?” She went back to sit on the table, changed her gloves, then went back to removing it. She finally got it out and started stitching herself up.

Kiba grimaced. “We were worried. Saw you going Armageddon on the Branch, then you disappeared.”

“I’m fine,” she said plainly.

“Glad to know. I’ll get out of your hair. We’re in a new base nearby, if you ever want to visit. Branch is done for so you don’t have to worry anymore.” His voice broke suddenly, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m sorry. I should go.” He turned away unsteadily.

She suddenly noticed the spreading bloodstain on his jumpsuit as he whispered “She’s safe,Tet. You can rest.” under his breath.

Andy sighed, “Sit down and let me heal you up.” She grabbed some supplies, “What happened and where is Tet?”

“You showed up right after we surrendered. Tet took out the head of the Branch when the fireballs started.. The roof fell in..” Kiba began to sob, shaking in pain and despair.

Andy froze, “I thought I got there before you guys..” She focused on him while tears streaked her face. When she was done healing him, she sighed, “I’ll find him if I can.” She said the teleportation spell and ended up back outside the Branch. 

The building was smoldering, white coated bodies in a pile. Tsukasa saw her and approached. “You see Kiba?”

“He’s at the clinic. I took care of him already.”

Tsukasa gave a nod before looking at the building. “We haven’t found him yet.”

She sighed, “I’ll find him.” She closed her eyes and focused, then opened her eyes and followed the feeling she had. She used spells to lift things up, searching through the rubble until she finally spotted him. He had multiple burn marks covering his body. She lifted him up and carried him out, setting him gently in the grass before focusing on trying to heal him. It took her awhile but she finally healed most of the wounds then focused to revive him. It took a bit longer than usual but he finally started breathing. She held onto him for a moment before teleporting him to the clinic and setting him in the bed next to Kiba. “He should be alright.”

Kiba gave her a grateful look before passing out.

Tet began to mumble words under his breath. “As long as you live..hate me..I’ll understand..”

She looked over, unsure if he was awake or asleep. She was so pissed at him she wanted to slap him but she was also relieved he was safe and alive.

“Sorry for hurting you..I’ll go and you’ll never have to see me again.” His eyes were half open, glazed with pain as he tried to stand. “Glad you’re safe though.” He gasped as he tumbled off the bed.

She rolled her eyes and lifted him back into bed, “Tet, just shut up. We’ll talk after you’ve rested.” She winced as she sat down between the two men.

He gave her a hurt look. “I know you’re pissed and I know you don’t want me here. So I’m leaving before you throw me out.” He again attempted to get out of bed.

“Remember before, pissed doesn’t mean you’re not welcome. I’m not going to just throw you out,” she pushed him back into bed.

“That was a  _ little _ different..” He struggled to keep his eyes open.

“Just get some sleep, okay?” She said gently.

He finally nodded, sagging in her arms as his injuries overwhelmed him.

She said a few more healing spells for him, then sat down and closed her eyes for a minute, trying to process her emotions. She then watched them sleeping for a while.

Yamae stuck his head in. “How are the idiots?”

“They’ll be okay.”

The porter sighed. “Should I take Tet before you decide to kill him? He was devastated when you left. He cried the whole way to the Branch.”

Andy sighed, “I’m not going to kill him. Probably.” She looked down, “I got so mad that he didn’t want me to fight and then to find out they had such an idiotic plan just...” She sighed again, “I don’t know.”

“It wasn’t  _ supposed _ to be a suicide mission. But the Branch ambushed me and Ryon, so Tet was forced to detonate the explosives manually. We’d gotten everyone else out.” He winced as he took off his beanie, revealing a large gash in his hair.

“Even if it wasn’t supposed to be a suicide mission, it was still really risky. And that doesn’t stop me from being mad he didn’t want me to go.” She motioned him over, saying a spell to help heal the gash before grabbing something off the table to clean it.

Yamae chuckled. “You do realize who we’re talking about right? He once faced down three hounds. Alone. Protected the asset and rode an infirmary bed for four months.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “He’s such an idiot.” 

The porter grinned. “He’s always been the one taking the most risks because.. You know. He figured if he was supposed to die, he’d go out fighting for others.”

She sighed and shook her head, “He needs to learn some self preservation.”

“Boss has tried to teach him that for years. Even threw him in the brig once because he disobeyed orders after we’d been pulled out of a job. Tet went and did the job anyway. As soon as he healed, he was put in the brig for six months. His good behavior lasted two days. Boss has kinda given up. Says Tet learning to care about himself is like Shouma learning to like brussel sprouts. It  _ could _ happen, but don’t hold your breath.”

Andy looked over at Tet, “At least he’s got his own necromancer to help him.”

“You’re staying?” Yamae’s eyes widened. “Boss figured you’d quit.”

“Just because I’m mad at Tet, it doesn’t mean I’m leaving you guys. Unless you guys don’t need a doctor or cook anymore?”

“Tet said you packed.. We kinda assumed.” 

Andy sighed, “Well, I was half motivated by my anger but he did say we were moving locations, so I’d have to have packed anyway, right?”

“Yeah.” The porter was silent for a moment, then whispered “I’m glad.” He looked up at her. “Was afraid of losing another family.” He looked like a lost little boy as he fiddled with his beanie.

Andy moved to hug him, “You guys really like me that much?”

“If you didn’t notice, none of us are women. We’re not as old as we probably look and we’ve all lost our families for one reason or another. So we’ve missed a mother figure.” Ryon gently ruffled his twin’s hair.

“Well, I’m glad to help,” she smiled softly.

“Are you available? Our third musketeer got himself hurt fighting with a Branch witch.”

“Yeah, bring him here,” she answered, getting up slowly and limping toward the supply cabinet.

Ryon disappeared, then rematerialized with an arm around Ryusei. The man was burnt by witchfire, his jumpsuit charred.

Andy started reciting spells to help with the burns, then gently cleaned and bandaged them up. She said a few more spells to get a bit more of the damage healed before putting the unused supplies away. “It’ll take a while to fully heal, but I did heal some of it and it shouldn’t be painful anymore.”

The twin porters nodded as Kiba stirred. “Tet still okay?”

“He just needs lots of rest,” Andy assured. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better. Probably could sleep for a week, but otherwise okay.” He looked over at Ryusei and winced. “Damn witches.” He clapped a hand over his mouth as he met Andy’s look. “Shit. Sorry. No offense.”

“You weren’t on my shit list but you’re slowly making your way up there,” she chuckled.

He shrank under the covers. “I’m really sorry..”

The twins tried to hide smiles.

Andy laughed, “Don’t worry, it’s okay.”

“You should turn him into a frog..” Tet’s voice was soft.

Andy looked thoughtful, “I wonder if I have any spells for that.”

Kiba pulled the blankets over his head as Tet laughed painfully.

Andy looked over at Tet and said a spell to help with the pain.

He relaxed as Tsukasa came in with a smile. “Good news. We’re free.” He looked at Andy. “All of us.”

“How?”

“Had a long talk with the General. Explained the whole story. He agreed that Branch had become too powerful and dangerous. So we have a decision to make.”

Andy raised an eyebrow in response.

“Each of you now has a choice to be here or not. If not, you’ll get money and contacts to start a new life. If you stay, it will be life as usual. I won’t decide anyone’s life for them.”

Andy looked at Kiba and Tet, “What are you guys doing?”

Kiba shrugged. “Got nowhere to go. No one to go to. I’m staying with Boss.”

Tet looked at her. “Depends on your answer. Although I don’t think I can do a nine to five.”

“Well, I guess the big question is, do you guys want to stay doing the same thing you’ve been doing or I make enough to support everyone by owning the clinic, we could all go live at my house and not have to worry about fighting all the time.”

“What would we do? Fighting is all we know..” Kiba sighed.

“You’d be free to find other things,” Andy offered before sighing, “Though I do understand how hard it is to go back to a normal life after all the fighting..”

Tet shook his head. “You still don’t understand. We’ve never had a  _ normal _ life. This squad, us? We’ve been together since our early teens for me and Kiba, the porters have been around since they were about ten.”

“Don’t you guys ever imagine what you could do if you were free?”

“Vet school..” Ryon’s voice was dreamy. He quickly quieted as he realized he’d spoken out loud. 

Yamae chuckled softly.

“So do you guys want to keep fighting? Or find dreams of your own, like vet school?” Andy gave Ryon a small smile. “Because if you guys want to do something else, I can help.” She looked around the clinic, “I get to do my dream either way, either taking care of patients here or taking care of you lot.”

“I’ll think about it.” Kiba spoke slowly.

Tet sighed. “Same here.” He didn’t look at her.

Tsukasa smiled softly. “No decisions needed yet. Rest, heal, then decide.” He left the clinic.

Andy sighed as she looked at Tet, “I’m sorry.”

“For what? Offering a peaceful life? I’m glad the porters have dreams.” He watched Ryon and Yamae talk quietly with a small smile.

Andy rolled her eyes, “Not that. For getting so angry at you.”

He blinked. “Oh. In your defense, I didn’t explain very well so I deserved it.”

She chuckled, “Are we okay?”

He nodded. “If you want me, you have me.” He looked downcast. “Though this other situation might make you reconsider.”

Andy took a deep breath, “I’m sticking with you.”

“You don’t have anyone after you anymore. You can stay here, maybe even take care of the porters if they leave. You don’t have to stay because of me.”

He pushed himself to sit up. “I couldn’t afford the luxury of dreams before and now.. I’m too old and jaded to have any. I’m a soldier, always will be. I can’t possibly make a peace loving person happy.” His eyes began to tear up.

“It sounds like you’re trying to talk me out of staying with you. Do you, or do you not, want me?”

“I lied just now..My dream has always been you. I don’t want you--I  _ need _ you. As much as I need air or blood or food..You complete me. But..”

“I love you, okay? Like I said, I can follow my dreams anywhere whether it’s here at the clinic or taking care of you guys. If the porters want their freedom, I can still help them the best I can, but I’m not leaving you.” 

He looked at her in disbelief. “You want to be with me? Even though I take stupid risks and keep trying to prevent you from getting hurt? Why?”

Andy rolled her eyes and glanced at Kiba, “Why do we love this idiot?”

Kiba shrugged. “Dunno myself honestly.”

Andy chuckled and looked back at Tet, “Yes I want to be with you, even though you are the biggest idiot I’ve ever met. I love you, and that’s what matters.”

He gave her a wide boyish smile. “I love you too.” He sent a look at Kiba. “I love you too, you overgrown furball.”

Andy glanced at the time, “We should probably move to the base or my house before patients start arriving..”

Ryon stood. “I can take you guys wherever you want.”

“I think we need a little vacation, don’t you? Plus my bag is still at my house. Why don’t we head there for now?”

“Not a problem.” Ryon put his hands on Tet and Kiba as Yamae gently touched Ryusei and Andy.

They vanished, reappearing in her basement.

“If you guys want the guest room might be comfier?” She looked at the porters before sighing, “And since the kitchen is empty, I’ll order us all some food, okay?”

The porters quickly got the other men situated in the guest room. Yamae took the food order and disappeared as Ryon sat down, closing his eyes. He relaxed slightly, hand rubbing the back of his neck with a wince.

“Are you alright?” Andy wondered.

“One of the bastards got a lucky hit in. Almost got killed because of it.” He dropped his hand, trying to hide the blood on his palm. “No big deal.”

Andy rolled her eyes and said a healing spell for him. “That should help a bit.”

Yamae reappeared, food in hand. He glanced at his twin with concern. “You okay?”

The other man nodded slowly. “Fine.”

“Seriously if you guys get hurt it’s not a problem for me to say a healing spell. It’s my job to help you guys, quit trying to hide things.” Andy sighed and took the food, laying it out on the table before heading to the guest room to check on the others.

Kiba was staring at the ceiling while Tet and Ryusei lay sleeping. The wolf gave her a small smile. “Really sorry about the whole Branch mess. I should have stopped Tet. I knew he wasn’t thinking straight.”

She shook her head, “Everything is alright now, that’s what counts.”

His lips curled before he pushed himself up. “You really think the porters will leave?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. I understand why they’d want to stay but I just want them to think about the other options, you know?” 

“Other options does sound nice. Just worried how normal people will react. We might get the torch and pitchfork routine.” He sighed and glanced at her. “I don’t want them getting hurt.”

“I know what you mean. And like I said, I know it’s hard enough to go back to a ‘normal’ life, I can’t imagine how hard it would be to start over completely.” She sighed, “It was hard enough going back to the clinic after Seltain, not using healing spells on everyone. But now I’m not just a witch and a necromancer. Nothing feels normal anymore.”

“It’s my fault. I dragged you into this. You got taken because you were with us.” Tet’s voice was harsh and full of self hatred. “I’m a danger to you.” He shakily climbed out of bed and began to head for the door. “You should forget about me.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “You’re seriously an idiot. Not  _ everything  _ is your fault. And I love you, I can’t just forget about you. Just sit back down and quit blaming yourself for every little bad thing that happens.”

He whirled to face her. “You were experimented on because I broke protocol and came here that first night. You’ve had your whole life turned upside down because I couldn’t just stay in the shadows and watch. Everything  _ is _ my fault!” His breathing grew rapid as he shook with exertion.

“No _ ,  _ it’s Seltain’s fault. If he hadn’t come after me in the first place, you guys wouldn’t have even had to come watch me. You guys have helped me figure out who and what I am and I wouldn’t take that back for anything. Blame yourself all you want, but I will  _ never  _ blame you for it. I will  _ never  _ love you less because of all of this. I just wish you’d quit blaming yourself too.” She shook her head, “And so what? I’m not the only one experimented on. I’ll get used to it. Yeah, it’s a little rough to get used to, but that doesn’t mean I’m mad or upset about it. I’m not even that mad at the scientists. They were doing their jobs.” She sighed, “Look it doesn’t matter.  _ None  _ of this will ever be your fault, no matter how hard you try to convince me it is.”

Kiba climbed out of the bed and grabbed Tet’s shoulders. “Quit being a dumbass. I know it’s difficult because it’s apparently in your DNA, but just accept that you can’t push her away. It’s a rule of the universe like gravity.” He paused, looking at his friend closely, then glancing at Andy. “There’s something wrong with him.”

Tet shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Just a going away gift from the Branch..” His eyes rolled up as he began to seize.

Andy moved quickly, getting him onto the bed and starting to check him over.

His breathing began to slow as his heart struggled to beat. It appeared his very cells were disintegrating as she watched.

Andy started reciting healing spells quickly, trying to think of what else to do to help. She quickly grabbed a piece of paper and started jotting things down before placing her hand on his chest and reading the spell she wrote to make a sealing spell to stabilize his cells. She then continued with the healing spells for a few minutes as she watched him closely.

He lay pale against the blankets, his breathing slowly evening out. His body still twitched with small tremors, blood trickling out of both his nose and mouth.

Kiba’s eyes flashed in fury. “Those utter bastards!” His fists were clenched at his sides as he fought his shift.

Andy’s eyes filled with tears as she watched Tet, unsure what else she could do for him. She gently wiped the blood away, fighting the part of her that enjoyed the smell of it. She sat there holding Tet’s hand before grabbing one of Kiba’s, “They’re gone, there’s no use in getting angry now.”

“He’s dying..” Kiba dropped to his knees, tears falling as he laid his forehead on Tet’s hand.

Andy took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to do. She did all the healing spells she could think of as well as made the new sealing spell to try to help. Other than making a whole other new spell she wasn’t sure what to do.

She closed her eyes and focused, trying to gather energy like she did to revive. She then put her hand on Tet’s chest again and pushed the energy in, a silver light surrounding him. She swayed slightly but kept focusing until she grew dizzy. She pulled back away and sat back into the nearby chair, not taking her eyes off of him.

His breathing sped up, his color returning. He remained unconscious.

Andy finally closed her eyes for a moment, willing the room to quit spinning. She glanced at Kiba, “I’m not entirely sure what I did but I think it’s working.”

He raised his head, his eyes tentatively hopeful as he watched his friend. “What the hell did they try to do to him?”

“I’m not entirely sure on that either,” Andy admitted. “His cells were acting strangely.”

Kiba was about to reply when Andy’s cell phone rang.

She picked it up, “Hello?”

“You have any idea why Kai and Rei just dropped dead?” Tsukasa’s voice was quiet.

Andy cursed, “What were their symptoms before hand?”

“Seizures, blood from their nose and mouth.. Is this Branch’s doing? They were part of the assault.”

There was a double thud from the kitchen outside.

Andy cursed again and headed out to the kitchen. She finally answered Tsukasa, “I’ll be right there. Yeah, it’s Branch’s fault.” She hung up before going back into the room and looking at Kiba, “You were there too, right? Did you see anything weird?”

He thought for a moment, then paled. “They sprayed something on us.. Ryusei!” He moved to the other bed, his eyes filling with tears as he checked the porter. “He’s dead..” He looked up in horror. “The twins...”

He gasped, stiffening as pain burned through him. His body began to shake, his knees buckling.

Andy rushed to him, grabbing onto him and doing the same spells she did on Tet. She then focused like before, making the silver light surround him. She fought through the dizziness and continued to work to save him as she moved him to the bed.

His eyes bored into hers, but when he tried to speak, blood spilled from his lips. His body went limp, his eyes slipping closed as he lost consciousness. 

Andy continued to focus on him, the light still surrounding him as she tried to heal him.

She finally backed away, knowing she had to save energy to revive the others. She watched him for a few more minutes before gathering the porters and saying the teleporting spell to take them to the base. She looked around for a moment, realizing she was in an infirmary.

“Andy? What the  _ hell _ is going on? One minute they were fine, the next they were down.” Tsukasa’s worried voice reached her.

“Kiba said they got sprayed with something..” Andy informed as she got the porters up into beds. She went through all of them and said the spells to try to heal them before focusing on all of the dead at once, gold light shining around them. 

She leaned heavily on one of the beds as she watched them all.

Tsukasa growled. “Even dead, they cause problems.” He touched her arm. “You okay?”

“I used a lot of my energy trying to keep Tet alive, then I did the same for Kiba before reviving all of them.” She sighed. “I’ll be alright once the room stops spinning.”

He pushed her into a chair. “Rest.” 

She sat there a few minutes before standing again, “I’ll be at my house checking on Tet and Kiba. Let me know if you need any more help.” She said the teleportation spell and vanished, reappearing in her guest room.

Tet and Kiba were still unconscious, but breathing steadily. A few moments later, Kiba blinked his eyes open and groaned. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Andy said softly.

“Like a wrung out dishcloth, but I’m alive. Everyone alright?”

“Everyone but you two are back at the base. I had to go revive all of the other guys that got sprayed with that stuff.”

“We all went down? Damn.. I forgot all about it because nothing had happened. Thought whatever they’d tried had been a dud.” He sat up slowly, taking a deep breath.

Andy nodded in understanding, “Well it seems everyone will be alright after some rest.” She glanced over at the sleeping Tet for a moment.

Kiba watched her face, looking wistful.

Andy looked down for a moment, “Can I ask you something?”

His eyes narrowed. “Sure.”

“What do you think of me? I used to think you hated me when I first arrived, but lately, especially with the Branch thing, you’ve been more protective. Is it just because of Tet?”

He blushed a deep red. “Partly. I mean I see how happy Tet is and I refuse to let anyone take that away. God knows he deserves it. Part is that you put your health at risk all the time for us.” He hesitated, his eyes nervously looking at Tet.

Andy nodded slowly. “And that kiss was just because you were drunk?”

He shook his head, then blurted “I’m in love with you..But I can’t say anything.” He ducked his head in fear as Tet shifted position in his sleep.

Andy sighed, “I think he’d understand, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“Understand? Probably. Accept? Whole other story.” 

“He wants us to share him, he should be fine if he has to share us.”

Kiba looked up. “Why would you want to be with me? Like you said, I hated you in the beginning. I threatened to kill you!”

“I don’t know. Lately.. there’s just something about you. I care about you a lot, Kiba,” she looked down with a sigh.

He looked at her in disbelief. “My own family didn’t care..”

“Well, I’m not them, am I?” She said quietly. 

His shoulders began to shake as tears began to spill. “I don’t deserve..” He clutched the blankets in his hands.

Andy moved and wrapped her arms around him, “It’s alright, let it out. Just because they didn’t care about you, doesn’t mean others can’t. You deserve care and love.”

“I’m sorry… I haven’t cried like this since I met Boss..” The wolf leaned into the embrace.

“It’s alright, everyone needs to cry now and then.” 

“The big bad wolf crying.. Something you’ll never read in a fairy tale.” He joked half heartedly.

Andy gave him a small smile and ran a hand through his hair, “Are you okay?”

He rubbed his face tiredly. “Think so. Thanks for not laughing at me.”

She smiled softly, “I’d never laugh at something like that, okay?” She kissed his forehead gently.

He let out a sound suspiciously like a purr and closed his eyes.

“Get some more rest. We can talk to Tet about whatever this is later.”

He nodded sleepily, sliding back down into the bed and curling up.

Andy sat in the chair watching them until she curled up and fell asleep. 


	12. Chapter 12

_3 months later_

Kiba swore, slapping another mosquito as he moved through the jungle. “Why the fuck did we agree to this mission again?”

Tet sighed as he rolled his eyes. “Cause we need money. It’s almost over, so quit complaining.”

Kiba shot him a scowl. “If I wanted to deal with bloodsuckers, I could have just teased Daiki until he bit me.. And since this is paying for _his_ school, shouldn’t Ryon be here instead?”

Tet paused to check the map. “It’s exactly why he _isn’t_. Andy, can’t you shut him up?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Guys, just shut up and focus on the mission.”

Tet huffed. “ _I_ am focused on the mission. The dictator’s palace is half a mile this way.” He put the map back and took point as Kiba grumbled to himself.

Ten minutes later, Tet tensed and threw up a clenched fist. Kiba stopped Andy in her tracks, hissing to the tiger “What’s the situation?”

Tet growled. “Must have been tipped to us. Fall back now!” He turned just as weapons began to fire. He jerked, but managed to get to Andy and push her down as Kiba began returning fire.

Kiba repeatedly cursed as he fired, then froze. “Shit! Andy, get his ass out of here! They’ve got a grenade launcher!” He raced to grab Tet’s arm, dragging him off her and further into the jungle as a whistling sound was heard. 

The wolf dived to cover his companion as an explosion shook the ground. When it was quiet again, he rolled off with a gasp. “ _Sonofabitch!_ ”

Andy quickly said a spell to throw up a protective barrier as she knelt beside them and started some healing spells. After a minute she noticed attackers approaching, “You two get out of here, I’ll take care of them.” She used the barrier to push them further away before she quickly shifted and charged at the attackers. She bit into some, draining them, while ripping through others with her claws. She heard shots going off, but she was too focused on taking them down. When she finally realized she was alone, pain raced through her. She stayed in her panther form, catching the scents of Tet and Kiba and slowly limped her way over to them, keeping an eye for any more attackers.

Tet grimaced, his left arm hanging limp as blood streamed down. “You alright?”

Kiba’s eyes were scanning the jungle as he took a shaky breath. “We need to get to the palace.”

Andy focused on Tet, saying spells to stop the bleeding and help heal his arm up. The panther swayed slightly, but managed to stay upright, _“Let’s go then.”_

“Kiba, stay and take care of her. I’ll go get the information.” Tet shifted and disappeared into the jungle.

Andy growled before letting out a sigh and glancing at her wounds. She wished she had all of her medical supplies with her so she could quickly take care of it.

Kiba sat down near her before his legs could buckle. “He better watch his ass.” The wolf yelped as he hit a jagged piece of metal embedded in his side with his hand. “Fucking grenades..”

Andy shifted back into human form, the blood much brighter on her skin than the black fur. She went to his side and started working on healing spells as she pulled the metal out of his side.

He gasped as the pain hit. “Fuck…”

She finished up, saying a spell to help with the pain before she started looking herself over. “I can teleport you home if you want.. I might be able to teleport to Tet’s location, but it’s better if I knew it.”

He shook his head. “You need to rest. We’ll wait for idiot.”

Tet shifted back as he crept to the palace gates and peered in. He watched the guards leave for their rounds, then carefully climbed over. He quickly ran towards where the briefing had said the intelligence office was located. He hid in an alcove as a group of guards pushed two stumbling prisoners past, sucking in a breath as he recognized them.

When they were gone, he hit his comm. “Kiba! Change of plans. I need a distraction as soon as you can make it here.”

“What the hell dude? You can’t get out because they trapped you?”

Tet shook his head. “I just saw Jade and Leo..”

Outside, Kiba turned white, his eyes wide.

“I assume they’re friends of yours?” Andy asked quietly. She pushed herself up, “Come on, are you staying here or coming with me?”

He stayed still for a minute, then cursed a long string of expletives. He slowly calmed, then stood on shaky legs. “Tet, we’re coming. Don’t do _anything_ till we get there.”

Andy grabbed onto Kiba, “I should be able to teleport us to him.” She closed her eyes and focused on Tet, trying to ignore the growing pain. She said the teleportation spell then opened her eyes again, finding herself staring at Tet.

“Was it wise to do that?” Kiba took a deep breath as Tet rolled his eyes.

Tet sighed. “I still need to get the info. The guards went down that hall with them. Get the two of them to safety.”

Kiba growled. “Can I blow this place afterwards?”

Tet gave a tired chuckle. “Please do.” He moved toward the office door, disappearing within.

Andy glanced at Kiba, “Show me what they look like and I can teleport them out.”

He looked her in the eye, projecting a tall blonde and a slightly shorter brunet into her head.

“I’ll be back for you two,” she added before rushing down the hall.

She quickly bit into the guard’s neck, draining him of his blood before finding the two Kiba showed her. She approached cautiously, “I’ll get you guys to safety.”

The two men exchanged glances, then nodded slowly. They were dirty, cuts and bruises covering everywhere she could see. The brunet was supporting the blond who appeared to be on the verge of passing out.

“Jade’s sick- infection.” The man was calm outwardly, only his eyes betraying his alarm.

“‘M fine..” The blond slurred, trying and failing to stand without assistance.

“It’ll be alright, I’m a doctor,” she said quietly before grabbing onto them and teleporting them to the base infirmary. She got them into beds and started healing them, cleaning their wounds quickly before focusing back on Kiba and teleporting to his location.

He jumped as she materialized, growling as he went back to laying explosive charges inside the armory. “Don’t do that! Heard anything from Tet?”

She shook her head, “Sorry, I told you I’d be back,” she said weakly. 

He finished, eyeing her critically. “Get back home. I’ll get one of the porters to bring us back.” He double checked the detonators, then cautiously peered out the door.

Andy shook her head, “I want to help you guys. Plus the porters are probably busy.”

“You can barely stand. I can’t watch you and idiot at the same time.” He glared at her as gunfire erupted down the hall.

Andy cursed, “Then don’t watch me.” She rushed to check on the noise, looking out for signs of Tet.

He raced down the hall, aiming for a large window. He crashed through it as bullets peppered the wall beside him.

Andy rolled her eyes, grabbing her pistol and starting to take the guards out. When they were down, she went to the window and looked out it searching for Tet.

There was no sign of him except a widening blood trail over the fence and into the jungle.

Kiba grabbed her arm. “Let’s level this place and get out of here.”

She nodded, “Alright. Are all the charges set?”

He nodded, holding the remote close.

She headed outside, trying not to limp too much. She knew Kiba could tell she was in bad shape but she didn’t want to show how bad she really felt. She waited for him to press the button, keeping an eye on the building.

A minute later, she heard the rumble and the building blew sky high. Kiba’s hand fell away from her arm.

She looked over at him.

He tried to grin, but his knees buckled as he hit the ground unconscious.

Andy rolled her eyes, grabbing onto him and teleporting him to the infirmary. She then focused on Tet and teleported to his location.

He lay face down, blood spreading under him. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing. 

She knelt by him, teleporting him to the infirmary. She got so focused on her work, she was mostly able to ignore her own pain and weakness other than the fact she could barely keep her eyes open. She worked on healing Kiba up before taking care of Tet and making sure he was breathing and alive before going back to Jade and Leo. She made sure the infection was taken care of and that they were doing fine before she finally sat down on one of the beds. She pulled supplies closer to her and tried to work on herself.

Tsukasa entered slowly, looking at Jade and Leo in shock before glancing at Andy. “What the hell happened to the easy in, easy out job you were given?”

She shrugged and mumbled, “Went bad, found those two, blew the place.”

He face palmed. “Tell me one of you have the information..”

“I think Tet does.”

The dragon quickly checked Tet’s pockets, sighing audibly in relief as he pulled a usb out. “At least something went right.” He looked at her. “Get some rest.” He headed out the door.

Andy rolled her eyes and continued trying to close up her wounds and remove the few bullets in her. 

Tet groaned without opening his eyes. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, you’re fine,” she spoke up from her bed.

“That’s good.” The reply was mumbled as he fell back into unconsciousness.

“Who are you and why does Tet trust you so easily?” Leo’s voice was hesitant.

“I’m Andy. I’m the doctor here. He trusts me because I’m his girlfriend.”

Jade choked. “ _Girlfriend_?” His eyes were huge as he stared at her.

She raised an eyebrow at them before finally giving up on trying to remove the bullets. 

Jack glided in, shaking his head at her and taking up the forceps. “Lay down.” He glanced at the two men with a smile. “Glad you two are alive.”

Andy gave him a thankful smile as she laid down. She soon was unconscious.

When she woke, she sat up and looked around the room.

Tet and Kiba were gone, Jade and Leo huddled in a corner talking quietly. 

She pushed herself out of bed, still slightly limping. She glanced over at the two, “How are you guys feeling?”

“Much better. Weird being here after so long.” Jade rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Andy nodded, “How long have you guys been gone?”

Leo sighed. “Five years.”

“Where have you been all that time?”

“Various prisons. Lost count of how many.” Leo stared down at the blanket. “We thought Tet and Kiba were dead…”

Andy sighed, “That must have been rough.”

“Apparently more for Tet than us. He took off this morning like Boss had set him on fire. Kiba went after him.”

Andy frowned, wondering if she should go look for them. She finally decided to, “If you guys need anything let me know. I’m going to go check on them.”

The two nodded quietly.

She headed out and checked Tet’s room first.

Kiba looked up as she poked her head in. “Hey. Feeling better?”

“Still a bit sore, but a lot better than before. You?”

“Same. This idiot on the other hand..” He waved a hand toward the bathroom door.

“What’s wrong?”

“Blaming himself again for things in the past. He can barely move but still took off. Finding them brought some issues out. Just another day at the office.” He tapped on the door. “Open the damn door.”

“Go the fuck away.” Tet’s muffled voice responded, the words pained.

“Tet, what’s wrong?” Andy asked.

“It’s my fault they almost died.. If I had made the right decision..”

“Hey, come on out and let’s talk about it, okay? Tell me what happened,” she said softly.

Kiba sighed. “It’s in the past. They don’t blame you.”

The door slammed open, Tet’s eyes blazing. “How can they not? I screwed up. I gave up on them and they have been in hell for the last five years!”

“Hey, let’s calm down. So you screwed up, that doesn’t mean they blame you for it. You can’t make the right decision every time,” Andy said gently, trying to get him to relax a little.

“That’s my job though! They depended on me, trusted me, and I let them down. Don’t know what’s worse, believing they were dead or finding out the truth..” He sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

Andy rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “It’s alright. They’re alive and that’s what matters. You can’t constantly blame yourself for mistakes you made in the past.”

He shook his head, his eyes only half open. “My responsibility..” He began to sink into her arms.

“Shh, it’s alright. Let it go.”

His eyes slid closed as Kiba rubbed his neck.

“Why does he blame himself? The higher ups are the ones who ordered us to leave without checking for survivors five years ago. Not him.”

Andy shook her head, “I don’t know but all we can do is keep trying to convince him it’s not his fault.”

“Easier said than done as just seen. He cares too damn much sometimes. Is he okay?”

Andy checked Tet over and nodded, getting him settled onto the bed. “I think he just needs more rest.” 

Kiba nodded. “I can tell you the whole story if you want. Walk with me?”

“Alright,” Andy made sure the blanket was up around Tet before turning to Kiba.

He headed out, waiting for her to follow before speaking. “We were sent to a small country to take out a dictator. It was Tet’s first mission as leader. He split the team, Jade and Leo were to stay with the helicopter. We ran into trouble and they were called in to extract us. A missile hit and they went down. Tet fought to be allowed to find them after we got free, but was denied because he was literally bleeding out at the time. We got extracted, he was in the hospital for a few months and the higher ups not only declared Jade and Leo dead, but reprimanded Tet for splitting the team. Tsukasa had to fight to keep him as leader.”

“That must have been really hard for you guys,” she sighed.

“Tet became more closed off after that. More type A during missions. No screw ups were tolerated.” Kiba ran a hand through his hair. “He internalized everything.”

Andy nodded, “I wish I could have been here to help him.”

“He would have definitely been easier to live with.” Kiba chuckled sadly. 

“Do you think we can help him through it now?”

“You’re the one who counsels everyone. You tell me.” He stopped and sighed. “He’s got so many issues. Sometimes I think he should have been forced to retire when we got free.”

“I hope we can help him.” Andy looked over at him before chuckling softly, “He does have a lot of issues doesn’t he?” 

“Well, his mother was killed by his dad who allowed him to be tortured for “science”, he’s got vamps trying to force him to be their king and he’s got all of us to run… I’d have run away screaming a long time ago.”

“At least he has us,” she gave a small smile.

Kiba laughed. “You don’t think we’re the ones that are going to make him finally lose it?”

She chuckled, “Maybe.” 

Tsukasa appeared behind her. “Where is he?”

“Tet? He should still be in his room,” she answered.

Tsukasa looked grim. “We have a situation.”

“What’s happening?”

“A group of vampires have taken one of our training facilities hostage. They’re demanding Tet as ransom.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “I’m sure we can take them out.”

The dragon shook his head. “The Council have decided to allow it.. They’ve ordered me to turn him over for peace from the attacks.”

Andy growled, “We can’t just hand him over!”

“I know. But if he hears about it before we make a plan, you know he’ll do it.”

She sighed, “I know.. I’ll do a freezing spell to prevent him from doing anything stupid while we come up with something.”

“Too late.” Zal glided up to them shaking his head. “His room is empty.”

Andy cursed and closed her eyes, focusing on Tet and saying the teleportation spell.

Tet didn’t look up as she appeared. “Go home, Andy.” He watched the school through binoculars.

“No, I’m not letting you do anything stupid.”

“You’re going to let everyone in there die? I don’t think so.” He glanced at her somberly. “Their safety comes first, you know that. The Council obviously thinks this is what it takes to get peace.”

“The Council are idiots. I’m sure there’s a way we can save them without giving you up. Even if I have to go in there myself and find a way to sneak them all out before ripping into the vamps,” she said a spell to freeze him before teleporting them both back to the base.

“Thank the gods.” Kiba sighed in relief. “He was doing something idiotic wasn’t he?”

Andy nodded. “Of course. Now let’s come up with a plan before I go in there and take them all out myself.”

Kiba stared at her for a moment. “Hold on a minute. You haven’t fully recovered from yesterday. Don’t be stupid.”

Tsukasa frowned as he spoke on the phone, then listened. Smoke began curling around him as the call continued. “Sir, we can take them out without any casualties. Just let my team-” He stiffened, his eyes flashing as he was told something. He slammed the phone shut and tried to control his shift.

“What now?” Andy stared.

“The Council has ordered us to immediately turn Tet over or be subject to the Branch. Apparently, it’s being rebuilt..” His eyes were filled with terror.

Andy took a deep breath, “Then pretend you’ll hand him over. And me and anyone else who wants to will get there beforehand and claim we were acting on our own.” She sighed, “And I’ll take the Branch out again if I have to.”

Tsukasa shook his head. “They’re coming here to personally take him. They’ll be here as fast as a porter can be found.” He sat down in defeat. “We’ve lost.”

Andy shook her head, focusing before saying a spell. “I just set up a barrier around the property they can’t get through it, even porters. Now I’m going to go kick some vampire ass, anyone want to go with?”

Kiba grinned and waved his hand excitedly.

Andy held her hand out to him, “Let’s go get them then.”

He took it, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She teleported them to where she had found Tet before. 

Kiba watched quietly as the vampires tortured the people inside the facility. His hands clenched into fists.

“You focus on getting the people free. I’ll cause a distraction and fight off the vamps.”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around since you can port?”

Andy sighed, “Right. I’ll be quick then and will be back to help you.” She headed off toward the building.

Kiba ran quickly around the back, finding an unguarded door and slipping in before shifting and taking down some unsuspecting vamps. He growled as the others suddenly whirled to glare at him. They transformed, leaving the people huddled in fear as they rushed the wolf. He led them away so Andy could rescue the people.

Andy approached them, “Grab onto me, I’ll get you out of here.” She said quickly. After they did, she teleported them to the base, unsure where else to take them. She looked at Tsukasa, “The people are safe now.” Before she teleported back to where Kiba was.

He was still fighting, although beginning to slow as his injuries took their toll. Several vampires lay dead around him, but more were swarming. Two were latched on to him, fangs embedded in his fur. He stumbled weakly as the others began inching closer.

Andy shifted quickly and pounced at them, knocking them free from Kiba. She fought many off but a few latched onto her, biting into her. She let out a whimper as one bit one of the spots she’d been injured the day before. She clawed into them, getting them to release their grips. Blood started soaking her fur as her stitches broke. She finally got the rest down and went over to Kiba, weakly nudging him.

He whimpered weakly, blood covering his fur and puddling onto the floor.

Andy started reciting spells to close up his wounds. Once the bleeding stopped, she shifted back into human form, swaying as the blood continued to drip from her wounds. She said a spell to try to help herself a bit, but she knew she really needed stitches again. She grabbed onto Kiba and teleported them back to the base.

They appeared in the main room in time to see a vampire sink their fangs into Tet as a witch recited spells to keep the squad in place.

Andy shifted in seconds, pouncing at the witch and sinking her fangs into her. She then ripped the vampire apart with her claws. She shifted again, checking on Tet. She said a spell to close up the bite wounds before trying to glance at him for any other injuries. Her vision blurred but she managed to stay on her feet.

Tsukasa grabbed her. “Sorry. They just showed up and next thing we knew we were frozen.”

Jack knelt beside Kiba and Tet. “They need help now. Take her to the infirmary.”

“I can help..” Andy said, voice obviously full of exhaustion. 

“No way.” Tsukasa picked her up and started for the infirmary. “You can’t even stand. No way can you help them.”

She sighed and closed her eyes, wishing the pain away.

Tsukasa laid her on a bed, moving to let Jack start an IV. The colonel watched as Zal began stitching her up.

Jack quickly got transfusions set up for all three, face grim.

“Kiba is critical. Tet hasn’t yet shown symptoms of the virus yet, but you and I know it’s going to be a fight to keep him alive.”

Andy listened for a moment before mumbling a spell under her breath. It froze the others in the room, she pushed herself up and headed to Kiba. She said some healing spells and made sure the transfusion was working before heading to Tet. She checked the transfusion before staring at him for a minute. She made a spell seal to fight off the virus in case it did start attacking him. She waited until they were both stable before slowly moving back to her bed. She reattached her IV before unfreezing the others. 

“Dammit Andy! Would you quit doing that?” Jack growled before his eyes grew wide. 

“I was just trying to help,” she blinked sleepily.

“Endangering your own health is not the way.” Zal chastised her gently.

She wanted to argue that she thought the others were more important than her health but she knew they’d yell at her for thinking that way. She simply sighed and relaxed into the bed. 

Zal injected something into her IV. “Sleep, Andy.”

She soon drifted off to sleep. 

When she woke, she blinked her eyes open and pushed herself up with a wince.

Tet and Kiba were still asleep, but Ryusei was pacing back and forth next to a pale Yamae.

She pushed herself out of the bed and went over to them, “What happened?”

“Branch assholes ran him down and took Ryon. Said they’d be in contact.”

Andy growled a moment before taking a deep breath and focusing on Yamae. She said some healing spells after checking him over, “He should be okay after some more rest.”

“I thought we had ended them?!” The porter was trembling with fear and anger.

“Apparently they’re rebuilding..” Andy said quietly. 

Ryusei looked at her, breath freezing. “Should have known this was a pipe dream. We’ll never be free unless we’re dead.” He slammed a hand into the wall, then slid down to wrap his arms around his knees. He laid his head on his knees and began to hyperventilate.

Andy crouched beside him, “Take deep breaths, come on, in and out.” She rubbed his back gently, “We’ll get him back and I know we’ll find a way to take Branch out again.”

He shook his head as tears streaked his face. “Makes me want to jump off a bridge again.. I just have to make sure I’m alone this time.” He gave a rueful chuckle.

Andy sighed, “Look, I know this is rough. I’m honestly scared of the Branch even if I talk tough. But I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe from them and to get Ryon back. With all of us together, we can take them down.” She looked down, “I’m just wondering what they want from us this time.”

As if on cue, Tsukasa charged in, smoke thick behind him. “I’m going to turn every single one of them into charcoal. Then I’m going to stomp them into dust and set them on fire again!”

Andy gave a gentle squeeze to Ryusei’s arm before she stood back up. “What’s happening?”

“They want both of something called the book of shadows. They say you know what they are. They’ve given us a time limit of six hours before they dissect Ryon alive on television.”

Andy frowned, “Both of? They can’t mean mine.. Maybe my moms?” She sighed, “I’ll go search the attic and see if I can find it..”

“You shouldn’t go alone.” Ryusei rose to his feet, his face determined.

“Alright,” Andy nodded before looking at Tsukasa, “I’ll find it and we’ll get Ryon back.”

Tsukasa gave a heavy sigh. “Be careful you two.”

Ryusei grabbed her arm and focused, rematerializing in her living room. “Nobody should be the wiser if you have watchers.”

She gave him a small smile before heading up to the attic. She searched for an hour until she found a wooden box. She lifted the dusty lid to reveal a purple leather book with intricate designs on the front. She opened it and started reading through it, realizing it held a lot of different healing spells her father’s hadn’t had. She held it to her tightly as if to hug her mom through it before she headed back down. 

“Knew you’d find it. Now hand it over or he’s going to have a very long nap.” A tall hawk faced man held one hand out to her, the other pressing a gun to the unconscious Ryusei’s head.

She slowly held it out to him.

He reached for it, the pistol rising from the porter’s skull. “Smart woman.”

“Why do you want it anyway?”

“Not everyone has your gift. But anyone can use these.” He waved the weapon at her as his hand closed around the book. “Although if I can get you on my table, we can find out what makes you tick.” He laughed darkly. “Get beside him. I won’t kill you but I will kill him.”

Andy moved to Ryusei’s side as she tried to think of ways out of there. If she started muttering spells, he could shoot. She wasn’t sure there was enough room to shift and take him down in the small living room. So she continued to try to think of ideas, fear racing through her.

Suddenly the man went flying into the wall as a small dragon slammed into him. It jerked as the gun went off, its talons clutching the book. It stumbled over to her before reverting. “Let’s go.” Ryusei’s voice was pained as he struggled to focus.

“Just relax,” Andy grabbed him and said the teleportation spell. Back in the infirmary, she started healing him, caring for his wounds and cleaning them as she muttered spells. When she was done, she looked at the book for a few minutes before heading out to her room to get the other book of shadows.

Daiki met her in the hall. “You look like hell. Are you okay?” He indicated the blood on her shirt.

She looked down, “That’s Ryusei’s.. Though I’m still not fully healed after the events of the last couple days, I’m doing alright.”

“What happened? I’m guessing you heard about Branch’s ultimatum?” The vampire scowled.

“Went home to find the other book of shadows and got attacked,” Andy sighed. “Last I heard they want the two books for Ryon. Has anything changed?”

He shook his head. “Tsukasa asked for proof of life to stall. They sent this.” He pulled his phone out, playing a short video of Ryon. He defiantly stared into the camera as unseen people repeatedly hit him.

Andy growled, “I’m going to go get him back.”

“Calm down. Tsukasa is already trying to plan a rescue. At least we know he’s alive.”

“I have the books they want, we can just do the trade,” Andy sighed. “It’ll be quicker.”

“Can we really trust that they just want the books? And should they be allowed to get them?”

Andy frowned, “I don’t know about trusting them, but a lot of what is in the books is for healing..”

Daiki sighed. “I guess we have no choice. I’ll tell Tsukasa to contact them.” He headed past her reluctantly.

Andy grabbed the other book and changed before going out to the main room. She sat down and started reading her mothers book of shadows and taking notes into hers for safe keeping.

Tet raced to her side, eyes roaming over her before he calmed. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

She chuckled softly, “Why this time?”

“Going home ring a bell? You could have been killed..or worse.” He sat down beside her.

“I had to find this,” she held up the book, “So we can save Ryon.”

“You think they’ll actually keep their word?” He looked at her worriedly.

“I don’t know,” she shook her head, “but it’s the best option we have right now..”

“I hate this..” He growled at the floor. “Ryon’s life depends on them actually telling the truth for once.”

“I know, but you know if they don’t free him, I’ll be the first to run in there to rescue him.” 

“That can only happen if they don’t take you as well. After last time, I dread you being within spitting distance of those bastards.”

Andy was quiet for a minute before speaking again, “If they do take me and make me that weapon they wanted.. promise me you’ll take me down.”

His face went white and he began to shake his head. “Don’t make me promise that…”

Andy sighed, “Alright, sorry for asking..”

He took a deep breath. “No, _I’m_ sorry. I’ll stop you, I swear it. Even if it kills me.”

She squeezed his hand, “Thank you.”

He gritted his teeth, clutching her hand tight.

Tsukasa walked in slowly. “Am I interrupting?”

Andy shook her head, “It’s alright. What’s up?”

He extended a piece of paper. “The exchange point. I’m assigning Jack as your backup.”

She took the paper and nodded, “Okay, ready whenever he is.”

Jack glided in, medical bag slung around his chest. “Hopefully this goes smoothly.” The vampire’s voice was tense.

Andy turned back to Tet and gave him a kiss before going to Jack and grabbing his arm. She focused on the exchange point and said the teleportation spell. They soon rematerialized and she looked around quickly.

Ryon lay bound, gagged and unconscious next to several Branch members. Their eyes narrowed catching sight of them. “You have them?”

“Right here,” Andy answered, holding them up. 

One of the men slowly approached with an extended hand.

Andy nodded to Jack to start approaching Ryon. 

The other men moved a few steps away as the vampire knelt beside the porter and quickly checked him. “He’s alive. Strong pulse.”

Andy nodded and held the books out.

The man took them, his nails scratching her in his haste. He smiled in apology.

She suddenly felt really tired, “Jack...” She swayed, struggling to stay on her feet.

The vampire started to rise with a shout, but froze as a stake was slammed into his chest. Blood spurted as his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

Andy tried to fight but soon fell to the floor unconscious.

The next few times she woke, it was a lot like before, scientists staring over her and she felt she had no energy. She had no idea how much time had passed. Finally, she woke feeling a bit stronger.

A man entered the room, watching her intently. “How are you feeling?”

“Not terrible,” she admitted. “Who are you?”

“A friend. Do you know why you’re here?”

She shook her head slowly.

“We rescued you. You’ve been recovering from your torture.” He sat down beside her bed.

She frowned, “I don’t remember that..”

He nodded. “Not surprising. But you’re safe now. Although you have permission to retaliate if you choose, we won’t stop you.”

She stared at him in confusion, “Retaliate?”

“The people who had you killed your team in front of you. They then did their best to do the same to you. We’d understand if you’re angry.” He laid a picture of a group in front of her. “This is the outfit that captured you.”

She stared at it a minute, “Why don’t I remember...?” The picture looked a bit familiar but nothing clicked.

“Trauma tends to cause memory loss. Do you want to remember?” The man’s voice was soft as his hand reached into his coat pocket.

She nodded slowly.

He removed a syringe, injecting it into her IV. He sat back and waited.

“How long have I been here?” She looked around.

“Approximately three weeks. This was your team’s base for years though.”

She once again nodded slowly, trying to remember.

Images began flashing through her head. Young faces laughing, then screaming in terror as they were torn apart by various people in the photo he’d shown her. Vampires draining her friends, her family while laughing.

She held her head tightly, as if the images were causing her pain. She shook her head as tears streamed down her face.

“I’m sorry, but you said you wanted to remember.” The man gently rested his hand on her shoulder. 

“Why did they do it?” She eventually whispered.

“Because they are bloodthirsty monsters. Your team is just the latest victims. They have been a thorn in our side for years, causing death and misery.”

She looked down, “We were vampires and shifters too, weren’t we? Why attack their own kind?”

“You volunteered. They consider anyone working with us traitors. They see it as liberating their kind from us. But if there’s resistance, then they just kill everyone.”

She closed her eyes, trying to picture how life was. She sighed, “I might not fully remember them, but if they were my friends, they deserve revenge.”

The man nodded and rose from the chair. He disconnected the IV. “I’ll let you get ready, then you can have your revenge.” He headed for the door as he smiled widely.

She pushed herself up, trying to steady herself. She stretched a bit, “Where do I find them?”

“I’ll give you the address when you’re ready to go.”

She nodded and looked around. “Where do I find a change of clothes and weapons?”

He opened the door. “Follow me.”

She did as she was told, following him out the door.

He led her to an armory, handing her a jumpsuit and a gun. 

She looked it over slowly before nodding. After going to another room she changed quickly before coming back out, “I’m ready.”

He showed her a piece of paper. “Their location. Memorize it.”

The address looked familiar to her making her frown. She focused on it before saying the spell to teleport.

Visions of her teleporting with the attackers appeared in her mind. She held her head for a moment as she tried to make sense of it all.

“Pull yourself together,” she spoke aloud to herself before standing tall and approaching the building.

Two young men stared at her as they came out. “Andy? You’re alive?” Broad grins began to appear on their faces.

She looked at them confused, “How do you know my name?”

They exchanged glances, frowning as they looked back at her. “Do you remember us? Ryusei and Yamae.” One of them began to slowly approach her.

“You guys killed my friends,” she growled, pointing her gun at them.

“What’s wrong with you?” The approaching one froze. 

“ _We’re_ your friends. We thought you were dead..” The other one reached for his radio.

She clutched her head for a moment, memories of them smiling appearing in her head. She started breathing heavily with confusion.

“Tet?” Ryusei quickly spoke into the radio. “You need to get out here now! Andy has a gun and is threatening us.”

She shook her head trying to force the memories to make sense.

Yamae began to slowly approach once again. “Are you alright?”

“Stay away from me!” Andy pointed the gun and fired at him.

He fell backward, blood spreading on his shirt rapidly.

“Fuck!” Ryusei went for his pistol.

Andy aimed at him and prepared to shoot. 

He looked at her sadly as he got it out. “Don’t make me shoot you, Andy..”

“Why do you act like you care?” She growled. “I saw your team kill my friends!”

“I don’t know what they did to you, but whatever you saw wasn’t real! We’re your friends and we’ve been mourning you ever since they killed Jack and took you..” Ryusei’s eyes strayed to the door as it opened behind him.

A tall man came out, his eyes bloodshot and his face streaked with tears. “Andy? Put the gun down, please..” He raised his hands and started to approach.

“How do I know you guys are telling the truth?” Andy pointed the gun at him.

“Look at me, Andy. I love you more than anything. I would never lie to you. Please.. Just put the gun down.” He continued moving toward her.

The crack of a rifle broke the moment and the man collapsed. Blood began spurting out of a hole in his chest.

Ryusei’s eyes widened seconds before another shot echoed and he flew back to lay still.

Andy looked around for the shooter in confusion.

The man who had given her the location spoke in her earpiece. “You can get in now. Stop wasting time.”

Andy entered slowly, her breathing quick. The place felt familiar to her, making more memories flood back. She knelt down, her breathing turning into hyperventilating.

“Andy?!” Two armed men skidded to a stop a few feet away. One of them crouched to meet her eyes. “Thank the gods.” His eyes were flickering between brown and gold, his gun tightly clutched in one hand. 

She stared at him as tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know what’s real..”

He moved closer after laying the gun on the floor. “Just breathe. We’ll help you, I swear.” A sudden noise made him growl low in his throat as his companion’s face transformed.

She shook hard, eyes widening as she watched the companion. “I saw you kill them.” She shakily raised her gun to point at him.

“Kill who Andy?” The crouching one gazed at her in confusion.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, “You guys say you’re my friends but I saw you kill my friends...” she lowered the gun slightly as she let out a sob.

The one who had growled suddenly was in front of her and reached for the gun. “Let us help you. We’ll fix whatever they did if it’s the last thing we do.”

“If you guys didn’t make me forget, then who did?”

“Branch..may they all become charcoal briquets. They took you and the books after killing Jack and almost killing Ryon. Do you remember anything?”

“Someone’s coming!” Zal hissed as he took up a defensive stance in front of them.

Two seconds later, a grenade came rolling in. The man pushed Andy behind a wall as it exploded.

Andy stood shakily, looking out and letting out a sob as she took in the scene. She headed back outside, pressing a button on her earpiece to talk, “They say they’re my friends.. How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

The man suddenly appeared in front of her. “You doubt me? See how long they play nice with you after this. They are liars! But if you can’t do the job, then I have no use for you.”

Andy raised the gun toward him, “You don’t have a use for me? How can I trust you if you say something like that?”

His face softened. “What I meant was, you can’t go on missions if you’re not mentally stable. I was hoping by taking revenge, we could be together again. I’m sorry if it came out wrong.”

Andy dropped the gun, sobs racking her body. “I don’t know who to believe.”

The man wrapped an arm around her, sitting her down on the ground. “I’ll finish this. Just wait here.” He rose and headed into the building.

Rapid gunfire was heard inside, then he was hurriedly backing out as a huge black dragon followed. It was bleeding from several injuries, but had enough strength to blow a jet of flame at the man.

He screamed, backing away. “She’s ours now! You lost! Just die already!” He raised his machine gun and emptied the clip wildly.

The dragon jerked, then rapidly reverted to a white haired man who looked at Andy sadly before falling face down and lying still. 

The man laughed maniacally, going over and kicking the body. “Her mind is ours forever now.” 

Andy watched in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

He froze, then scrabbled for something in his pocket. Removing a syringe, he began to approach her. “You’re tired. Let me take you home so you can rest.”

She backed away quickly, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He snarled. “We aren’t letting you go that easy.” He rushed toward her, his eyes wild.

She grabbed a gun off the ground, pointing it at him. “Stay away!”

“You’re ours!” He tried to jab the needle into her.

She felt dizzy, the world spinning around her. She tried to shoot at the man but missed, finally getting him in the arm the second time.

He yelled, then disappeared.

She felt disoriented, the world closing in around her. She soon fell to the ground and blacked out.

When she woke, she was shaky, still feeling confused. She looked around at all the dead before carrying them inside and finding the infirmary. She spent hours focusing on trying to heal them, more specks of memories coming back as she did. 

Eventually, she focused on all of them at once, gold light filling the room. Once they all started breathing, the light faded. Andy felt a wave of exhaustion. She remembered what her house looked like, so she focused and teleported there. She sat in the shower long past the water turned freezing. She eventually dragged herself out and got dressed, collapsing into the bed. She curled up still trying to make sense of what was real. 

The front door suddenly opened, a soft voice calling her name. It got louder as steps sounded outside her door. 

“You think this is wise?” Another voice silenced the first, the question hesitant.

“Boss wants her back with us.” Her door opened quietly. “She needs _us_ for a change and I’m not going to let her down. Especially since it’s my fault in the first place they grabbed her.”

Andy shook, covering herself in the blanket as if a child trying to hide from monsters.

Arms gently wrapped themselves around her, holding on as if afraid she’d break before she heard bells. Wind rushed around her for a moment, then all was quiet. She was laid down on a bed, the voices retreating.

Andy peeked out and looked around before hiding back into the blankets.

There was a choked laugh off to the side of the room. “Are you a turtle now as well?”

Andy was surprised when she chuckled, “Shut up.”

“Nice to know you can still laugh.” The voice was quiet. “I probably should wait, but I need to apologize for getting you into this situation.”

She peeked out and shook her head, “It’s alright. I don’t blame you. I’m just really confused about stuff..”

A face entered her view, it’s eyes sad. “If I hadn’t started school, they wouldn’t have been able to grab me. It’s my fault you had to try to save me..” The man ran a hand through his red hair wearily. “I got Jack killed and god knows what done to you.. You should blame me.”

She shook her head again, “I’m glad you started school. I wanted you to have the chance to chase your dreams.” She sighed, “No matter if you blame yourself or not, I don’t blame you at all.”

Ryon sank to the floor as he stared around the room. “We’re not safe with so many of us down.” He tapped a radio. “Kenji, have you put the others on ice yet? We need to figure out how to defend this place.”

Kenji’s voice answered. “Yeah, just finished. They’ll be alright until later.”

Andy looked confused, “What happened?”

“The guy backing you up took out a lot more of us before Boss went nuclear. There’s only four of us available. A few more probably won’t make it.” Ryon sighed.

“I’m sorry.. I’ll help heal them.”

“You can barely keep your eyes open. They can wait.”

“I should be helping.”

“Tet would kill me if you dropped dead from overusing your healing.” Ryon huffed as he glanced at the unconscious man.

Andy was quiet for a moment before asking, “Why don’t you hate me? I attacked the team...”

“You weren’t all there. You probably were messed up with control drugs and gods know what else. You were told a story and you were doing what you would have done-hell what you have done for us. Why would we hate you?”

“I shot Yamae..” She sighed, “And I almost shot a few more of the team. I should have been stronger and fought it..”

He cupped her face, his green eyes boring into her dark ones. “It is _not_ your fault. You didn’t blame Tet when he lost control, why should it be different for you? You’re home with us and that’s what is important.”

His radio buzzed. “We just lost Taka. Akira is just a matter of time.”

Andy pushed herself up, “I need to help.”

Ryon gave an exasperated sigh and steadied her. “Should I carry you?”

She shook her head, “I’m fine. Where are they?”

“Main room.” He rubbed a hand tiredly over his face, revealing bandages around his abdomen as his shirt rose. “You better be alive when Tet wakes.”

Andy used the wall to support her as she made her way to the main room. She looked around, taking in everything.

The walls were pockmarked by bullets, blood covering the floor. A covered figure lay in one corner.

“Come on Akira, stay with me..” Kenji’s voice was pleading as he knelt beside a body. There was blood on the Frenchman’s fatigues and she could see his shaking as she got closer.

Andy knelt beside Akira, starting to mutter healing spells to try to help. 

Kenji gave her a wan smile as the phoenix’s vitals stabilized. He tried to rise, losing his balance and groaning as he ended up on his back. More blood seeped between his fingers from his side as he tried to breathe through the pain.

Andy moved to him and focused her spells on him, blue light glowing around him as the wounds healed up.

He weakly chuckled. “Merci.” He passed out as Ryon entered slowly.

“Are they alright?”

“Yeah, they will be once they rest,” she answered before shakily standing. She headed toward the covered figure, pulling the cover back slowly.

Taka lay still, bandages wrapped around numerous bullet wounds. The gauze was soaked through, more blood puddling around him.

Andy sighed, checking him over before saying some spells to close the wounds. She then focused, gold light surrounding him. After he sucked in some air, she looked up at Ryon, “He probably needs a transfusion.”

“I’ll take care of them. You need to rest.”

Andy gave in, heading back toward the infirmary.

“Are you real?” Tet asked quietly.

She nodded, “Yeah. How long have I been gone..?”

“Almost a month. I had almost given up hope.” He pushed himself up, wincing.

Andy sat next to him, “Things are still really fuzzy.. but at least I know what’s real now. Those memories still feel so real though..”

“They probably took real ones and twisted them.” He scowled as he tried to stand. “Is the bastard dead?”

Andy looked down, “He got away, but he was badly injured.. hopefully he’s dead..”

“Fingers crossed.” He managed to get to his feet, swaying. “What’s the situation?”

“You should rest,” she said quietly before sighing, “Everyone is either injured or dead. And Ryon won’t let me revive the others yet.”

His face went white. “Everyone?” He grabbed the end of the bed as the shock buckled his knees. 

“That guy did it, I only shot Yamae...” She continued to look down, “If he’s alive, do you think he’ll come back after me?”

“If he’s got a brain at all, no. Then again Branch isn’t real intelligent cause they targeted you in the first place.” He regained his composure and looked at her. “I outrank Ryon, but are you strong enough to revive everyone? Jack’s been dead for almost a month..”

“I don’t know, but I want to try.” She looked around the room at the unconscious men.

“Then go ahead. If Ryon tries to stop you send him to me.” He took a deep breath, sitting down as the room spun.

She watched him a moment, “Please get more rest. I’ll be back.” 

She headed off to where the dead were kept, removing the sheets to look them over.

Gunshot wounds and shrapnel injuries were revealed. Jack had a hole in his chest and a slashed throat.

She started to get to work on healing them. After a long while, she set up transfusions on the ones who needed it. Pushing through her exhaustion, she focused, gold light surrounding them all. They started breathing one by one until finally the only one left was Jack. She focused harder, working on trying to get his heart beating. Eventually it finally started. She stepped away slowly before heading out of the room. She planned to tell Tet or Ryon they could be moved to the infirmary, but she struggled to stay upright. Soon, the whole world went dark and she collapsed to the hallway floor.

Ryon swore as he ran to her side. “I told her..” He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the infirmary, laying her in an empty bed. He glared at a half awake Tet. “You gave her permission didn’t you?”

Tet sighed and nodded. “She was insistent. Didn’t feel like fighting.”

Ryon rolled his eyes. “Idiots. Just rest and don’t do anything else stupid alright?”

Tet chuckled tiredly as he fell asleep.

Andy kept seeing conflicting visions in her mind, both of her real friends dying and some of them killing these imaginary friends, before flashing back to scientists standing above her. She woke quickly, pushing herself up into a sitting position, breathing heavily. She looked around as she started to shake.

Ryon gently touched her shoulder. “Breathe. You’re safe.”

She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. She was still a little shaky but better than before. “Sorry..”

He shook his head, giving her a soft smile. “No apologies necessary. Though I hope you are the last to have nightmares today.”

She glanced around, “How is everyone?”

“Alive thanks to you. Boss is up and giving the General hell. Your idiot boyfriend had a walking nightmare which nearly killed him again.” He sighed. “Everyone else is either asleep still or cleaning up.” He gave a chuckle before adding “My brother says if you apologize to him he’ll hit you.”

Andy sighed, “I might anyway.” She gave a small smile, “How’s Kiba doing?”

“Masochist. And he’s locked in his room at the moment.”

She frowned, “What did he do exactly?”

“Caught him in the armory attempting to load enough explosives to take out a small island and intending to find Branch’s base.”

She nodded then slowly realized, “I at least know what one room looks like.. I could probably teleport there to take them down...” she looked down, “After we all are doing better of course.”

Ryon looked unconvinced. “I don’t have to restrain you _too_ , do I?”

She shook her head, “Probably not.”

An alarm over the next bed began ringing. Ryon growled “Better not” before heading over. He swore, reaching for a syringe. “Dammit Tet!”

She pushed herself up, “I’ll help.” 

“His heart is still recovering from the bullet. The last nightmare almost caused cardiac arrest.” Ryon struggled to hold the tiger still so he could give the injection.

Andy said a healing spell to help his heart before she spoke softly, “Tet, I need you to wake up.” 

His thrashing stilled as he heard her voice and he slowly said her name as his eyes blinked open. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you..” His eyes were unfocused, his blood pressure still high.

“You can’t protect me from everything.” She gently grabbed his hand, “I’m here now and everything is alright.”

He tightly squeezed as his eyes cleared. “Not a dream.. You’re alive..” He took a deep breath as the alarm ceased.

“Idiot. Stop scaring us.” Ryon sat down hard, his face pale.

“Yeah, I’m alive,” she said softly to Tet as she sat beside him.

Tet gave a sigh, then gave a concerned look to the porter. “You okay?”

Ryon grimaced as he touched his abdomen. “Think I popped my stitches.” His eyes rolled up as he began to fall from the chair.

Andy quickly got up and moved him to an empty bed, cleaning the wound and restitching it. She then said a healing spell to make it heal faster. 

“Is he alright?” Tsukasa frowned as he entered.

“He’ll be fine after some rest.”

He nodded. “We’ve been given permission to retrieve the books when you’re up to it. And if the Branch tries their shit again to take it out.”

‘

Andy took a deep breath, “Alright.”

“Don’t push yourself. Everyone needs to be at their best.” He pointedly looked at Tet, who blushed.

Andy nodded, “So we’ll make a plan when everyone’s up and healed.”

The dragon gave her a smile. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Ryon! I’m going to kick your ass!” Kiba strode angrily into the infirmary. “Drugging me was low.”

“He’s out right now,” Andy informed. 

He scowled for a minute, then gave her a smile. “Nice to see you up.”

She smiled back, “How are you feeling? Other than angry?”

He chuckled ruefully. “I’m okay. But I still want to hit him. He knocked me out behind my back.”

She nodded, “Don’t worry, we’ll be going after Branch soon.” 

The wolf shot his brother a questioning look. 

The dragon nodded. “When the team is awake, so just sit down and wait.”

Andy motioned to the chair next to her, “Yeah, sit.”

He sighed and did as requested, looking at Tet. “You look like shit.”

Tet rolled his eyes in response.


	13. Chapter 13

Andy took a deep breath, double checking her pistol before stashing it in a holster. She tried to focus on the mission and not the fact that she was stepping foot in the Branch base again. The thought terrified her, she worried they’d take her again. If they screwed her up that badly once, who knows what they’d do the next time. Plus, she worried they’d do similar to her friends. She was excited to get the books back, as they were important to her parents, but she also wondered if she’d be able to get information on what all they’d done to her. She took another deep breath before looking around at the group, hoping they wouldn’t sense her fear.

Tet gently embraced her, laying his head on her shoulder as he sighed. “Are you as terrified as I am?”

“Trying not to be,” she responded quietly.

He took a deep breath. “Guess we should get this done. I vote for drinking heavily when we get back, though.”

She chuckled softly, “Alright, sounds like a plan.” She kissed his cheek before pulling away.

Kiba gave her a small smile as he checked his pistol again. He stowed it and walked over to them. “The faster we go, the faster we’re back. Ready to kick ass?”

Andy nodded, “As ready as I can be.”

Yamae materialized in front of them. “Still all quiet. To tell the truth, I wonder if they abandoned it?” He looked at Andy. “Plan still the same?”

“Go in, get the books, fight anyone who gets in our way, then get out.”

The porter grinned. “Shall we?” He touched Kiba’s arm and disappeared.

Tet huffed. “I’d say I wish they had run, but we need those books back.”

She nodded, grabbing his arm and saying the teleportation spell. 

No one was visible when they appeared, Tet’s eyes narrowing. “They better not have wandered off.”

She sighed and started heading inside, looking around cautiously. “Hopefully they’re okay.”

Tet nodded, following her. He grabbed her as laughter and the sound of fists hitting bone was heard from the room ahead. “Worst luck I’ve ever seen.” He shifted, his roar splitting the air as he charged through the flimsy door.

Andy quickly followed behind, starting to say spells to take out the Branch workers.

Yamae was being kept on his feet by two men as another repeatedly hit him with a metal pipe. Kiba lay a few feet away, almost unrecognizable.

Andy growled, taking out the one hitting Yamae first. After getting the other two, she caught Yamae, frowning. She glanced at Tet, “I’ll be right back.” She teleported the two injured men back to the infirmary before reappearing. “Alright, let’s finish this,” her eyes were cold.

Tet didn’t answer, methodically shredding the men with his claws. He appeared not to realize she was back.

“Tet?” She called his name to get his attention.

His eyes glittered as he roared at her, then resumed the carnage.

She sighed, noticing a computer nearby. She plugged in a USB and started searching for any files on her. She quickly pulled them over to the USB before replacing it in her pocket. She then informed, “I’m going to find the books.” 

She headed down the hall, finding herself in a familiar room. She looked around and realized she was where they tried to brainwash her. She tried not to panic as she continued through, heading out in search of the books.

Tet slowly came to his senses, reverting to human and backing away in horror at the scene. He jumped as his back hit the wall, then slid down shaking. He stared at his blood stained hands dully, Kiba’s body in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could run away.

Andy finally came to a large room, spotting the books on a table. She felt it suspicious that they were out in the open, but she approached anyway and grabbed them into her arms.

Tet finally composed himself and started searching for Andy. As he moved cautiously through the medical room, a man stepped in front of him. He backed up a step, his body tensing as the man began casting a spell. He suddenly felt like all the oxygen was gone, his lungs fighting for air.

Andy started heading back toward Tet, freezing when she spotted the man from before. It took her a moment to realize Tet was getting hurt, but when she did she started muttering spells towards the man.

He turned with a laugh, showing her Tet’s blue face. “Can you manage to kill me before he dies?”

She growled, rushing toward him and biting into him without fully thinking. She started draining his blood, eyes locked on Tet.

His eyes were dimming, the light barely there when the man finally sagged to the ground. The tiger collapsed and didn’t move.

Andy knelt beside him, saying the teleporting spell to get him to the infirmary. She quickly set the books down and lifted him up into a bed before starting on healing spells. She hooked up an oxygen mask and some sensors to keep an eye on his oxygen level. She then moved over to Kiba and Yamae. Kiba looked worse, so she started on Yamae.

He looked at her through one eye. “Sorry.. Ambushed..” He coughed blood, his breathing wheezy and labored.

“It’s alright, just relax,” she said gently as she started running tests. She then focused healing spells to work on his injuries. She then moved to Kiba, tears in her eyes as she looked at how bad the damage was.

His breaths were almost unnoticeable, his eyes fixed and staring. His head was a mass of gashes, blood covering his face. One arm was clearly fractured, bent in an odd direction.

She started running tests then began using multiple healing spells. It took her hours to get every wound cleaned and healed up. She scanned him again, noticing little signs of life in his brain. She let out a sob, trying to run through spells in her head that could help but coming up with nothing. Her eyes flickered over to the books, remembering the purple one had more healing spells. She moved to them and picked it up, sitting down beside Kiba as she started searching for any spell that could help.

Tsukasa strode in, his gait faltering as he took in the scene. “Andy?”

She wiped at her eyes before looking up at him. She lifted the book, “We found them.” 

“At what cost?” The dragon’s face fell as he read the readouts from the machines.

“Tet and Yamae should be okay. Kiba... I’m looking into spells to help him,” she said quietly. 

“Don’t do anything crazy, okay? He wouldn’t want you putting yourself in jeopardy.”

She nodded slowly before looking back down at the book. After another hour she came across something that looked promising. She stood and started reciting the spell. 

Kiba’s machines began beeping insistently as his brain activity spiked and the swelling vanished. His breathing sped up.

Tet’s eyes blinked open slowly at the noise.

Andy continued to check on Kiba for another couple minutes before moving to Tet’s side, “How are you feeling?”

He weakly took off the mask. “Throat hurts. Kiba..”

“Kiba will be alright, don’t worry. Just rest.”

“He looked.. I lost it. I ripped those men apart like a crazed animal..”

“It’s alright,” she said softly. “You were just upset. It happens.”

“Why aren’t you afraid of me? I could do it to you..” He turned his face away, his voice raw with unshed tears.

“I trust you. I know you’d never hurt me on purpose, and you’d have to fight me before you hurt me.” She put a hand on his cheek, “ _ I trust you _ . That’s what matters.”

He swallowed hard, nodding as his eyes slid shut. 

Andy gave him a soft kiss before heading over to the computer. She plugged in the USB and started going through the Branches information on her. At the beginning it just had facts but then it started listing tests they performed on her. She knew the first time they’d turned her into a vampire and a shifter, but she growled when she continued on and realized they’d tried to test to see if they could make someone have multiple shifts. She scrolled through pictures, seeing a giant black hawk, another of a black snake, and finally her black panther form. Staring at her hands, she wondered what kind of monster they’d turned her into. Finally glancing back at the screen, she continued on, reading some results for normal tests and feeling sick at some others. She finally pocketed the USB again, giving a silent vow not to be what the Branch made her. She would refuse to shift or drink blood, so she’d just have to focus on memorizing more spells. Moving back near the beds where Tet and Kiba lay, she sat down and continued reading through her mother’s book of shadows. 

Yamae whimpered quietly, forehead creasing. His eyes moved rapidly under his lids as his hands clenched. “You can’t have her” he muttered loudly.

Andy went over and shook his arm gently, “Yamae, wake up. It’s just a nightmare.”

His eyes shot open, his body relaxing as he realized where he was. “Are they dead?”

“No one’s dead. Everyone will be alright, so just relax.”

“I mean the men.. They gotta be dead or they’ll try to hurt you again. They joked about it..” He grabbed her arm. “Kiba went nuts and they.. Just kept beating him…”

“Oh them? Yeah they’re dead, don’t worry.”

The porter slowly got his breathing regulated. “I thought we were going to die.. But I was more scared we’d lose you to them.”

  
Andy took a deep breath and gave a small smile, “Don’t worry about it now, we’re all safe.”

“Even Kiba? I was sure he was dead..” Yamae looked over at the wolf worriedly.

“He was in really bad shape... But I think I’ve got him fixed up.”

He nodded slowly, sleep dragging him under.

She sighed before moving back to her chair and continuing to read. She started copying useful spells into her own book for future use. 

An hour later, Kiba shot to a sitting position, his teeth bared as he growled at something only he could see. His hands were bent into claws, his eyes glittering wildly.

“Kiba?” She said softly as she stood, “Everything is okay now.”

“They won’t touch you! I’ll die before they lay a hand on you…” The response was a low hissed cry of anger.

“It’s okay, they’re gone. We’re all safe,” she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes slowly returned to normal, his hands dropping as he groaned. “Why does it feel like I jumped off the roof again while drunk?”

“You were beaten up  _ really _ badly. I think you’ll be alright now though, once any residual pain goes away.”

“I was completely serious. They’ll have to kill me before they get you again.” He slumped back to the mattress with a wince.

She gave a small smile before sighing, “At least Branch should be down for a while. Maybe this time they’ll get the message.”

“Certainly hope so. If they don’t, I might just acquire a nuke..” He hissed as his laugh jostled his ribs.

“You should rest more,” she said quietly. “It’ll help with the pain.”

He nodded, releasing a slow breath as his eyes closed.


	14. Chapter 14

Andy was in the kitchen cooking for the others, trying to go over spells in her head. She’d taken to testing herself over them so she kept them memorized and categorized. Eventually, she finished the food, grabbing a small portion and sitting down at one of the tables.

Tet slid beside her, stealing a bite as he grinned. “Why so serious?”

She shook her head, “Just thinking about spells.”

“Ah.” He stole another bite, then kissed her cheek.

She gave him a small smile, “There’s plenty up there for you.”

He sighed as he got up. “No time. Gotta drop off a package to the General.”

Andy frowned before nodding, “Well, there’ll probably be leftovers when you get back.”

He chuckled as Rei and Yoshi came in. “Only if you pack some before the porters and Kiba eat it all. We should be back in about an hour and a half. Try to smile, will ya?”

She smiled at him as she chuckled, “Stay safe.”

“If only those were magic words.” Tet waved a hand at the twins. “Let’s go.”

The three left the kitchen.

Andy went back to picking at her food, not really feeling like eating.

Some of the others came in. Sensing her mood, they got plates quietly and sat away from her.

She eventually got up and washed her plate before heading out of the kitchen. She went slowly made her way to her room, then collapsed on the bed. After a few minutes she pulled herself up and went back to reading her mother’s book of shadows.

About an hour later, there was a frantic knock at her door.

She stood and opened it, looking out at the knocker.

Kiba paced the floor, his fists clenching. “I need you to come with me _now_.”

“What’s happening?”

“Tet called, said they were being attacked. The phone went dead and we haven’t been able to reestablish contact.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll get us there,” she grabbed his arm and focused on Tet, saying the teleportation spell.

They materialized just as a jet of flame erupted from the dragon in front of the three men. The twins were back to back, protecting an unconscious Tet from the witches in front of them. Rei gasped as a spell took effect, dropping to his knees in agony.

“Bastards! Ever heard of fighting fair?” Yoshi started to shift, then let out a shrill cry. Blood began flowing from the slashes that suddenly appeared in his fatigues.

Andy started muttering spells, a barrier surrounding the twins and Tet appeared before some of the witches started going down.

The dragon billowed smoke toward them and Kiba immediately shifted. He charged toward it, swerving several flames shot toward him, then sank his teeth into one of it’s legs.

Andy finished taking the witches down before turning her attention to the dragon. She started with spells to take it down, starting with one that made it off balance so it couldn’t move as well. She dodged a shot with a barrier before starting another spell. She knew it’d be quicker to take down if she’d shift but she couldn’t bring herself to. She finished the spell, large gashes appearing in the dragon’s chest.

Kiba released the dragon, growling at her. He ran toward her as the dragon roared, spitting flame. There was the smell of burning fur, a howl, then Kiba was knocking her over. 

Andy pushed herself up, wincing as she felt a few burns on herself. She started reciting a killing spell, the dragon sinking to the ground as it went into effect. She moved Kiba toward the others and teleported them all to the infirmary. 

Rei groaned, regaining consciousness. “Are we safe?”

“We’re back at the base,” Andy responded as she checked him over.

He grimaced, but sat up. “Think I’m okay now.” He coughed a few times, then stared at his blood streaked hand. “Okay...maybe not.”

She said a spell to help heal him and stop the bleeding. “That should help.” She moved to Tet and started checking him over.

His skin was icy, his pulse slow. There was frost on his eyelashes and his lips were slightly blue.

Andy said a spell to help warm him up before wrapping him up in blankets. She said a spell to heal any of his injuries before moving on to Yoshi.

His fatigues were soaked in blood, deep gashes in his chest and abdomen. His pulse was erratic, appearing and disappearing.

She said a few different spells trying to work on closing the wounds and steady his pulse. She cleaned him up and made sure the wounds were fully closed before checking on his pulse again. When she found it slow but steady, she moved on to Kiba. 

Andy took a deep breath, analyzing the burns before saying spells to heal them. She then cleaned him up before sitting down beside him.

Tsukasa ran in, pausing as he looked over the men. “How bad?”

“They should be alright,” Andy assured.

“Who and how did they know?”

Andy shook her head, “There were witches and a dragon but that’s all I know.”

Tsukasa cursed, then spun and left the infirmary.

“You almost got killed.. Why the hell didn’t you shift?” Kiba’s voice was pained and angry.

Andy looked down, “I don’t want to be what the Branch made me into. I can get by with my spells.”

“ _Get by_ with your spells? You’re putting our lives in danger!” He hissed as he sat up and glared at her. “Are you really willing to watch Tet _die_ because of your insecurities? I’m not. Not willing to die for them either.” He pushed himself off the bed, turning his back to her. “Get your shit together before you lose someone forever..”

The wolf limped out of the infirmary after flinching from her hand on his shoulder. He disappeared out the base’s side door.

Tears filled her eyes as she headed out of the infirmary and down to her room. She locked the door behind her before sitting down and starting to full out cry. She eventually cried herself to sleep.

Tet blinked his eyes open, forehead creasing in confusion. How had he gotten back to base? The last thing he remembered was calling the base as the witches attacked. He’d been _so_ cold.. He surveyed the twins, then looked for Andy. Finally, he opened their telepathic connection. _“Thanks for the save. I can check visiting the Arctic off my bucket list.”_

Andy sighed and just answered, _“You’re welcome.”_

_“What happened? I can hear you’re upset. Where are you?”_

_“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. I’m in my room.”_

_“Of course I’m going to worry. Can I come over?”_

She took a deep breath before standing and unlocking the door. She sat back down on the bed, “ _I guess. Door’s unlocked.”_

A few minutes later, he entered. Seeing her puffy eyes, he growled. “Who do I have to kill?”

She shook her head, “It’s nothing, just me having my own issues to deal with.”

He looked unconvinced. “You don’t cry over issues unless someone has pushed a point way too far. Now spill before I start asking the guys.” He sat down and took one of her hands.

“I don’t want to be what the Branch made me. I don’t want to shift. I don’t want to be a vampire...” She looked down. “We came to rescue you and I refused to shift. Kiba got hurt, because he was trying to protect me.. He says me not shifting will put the whole team in danger, but it’s not like I asked to be protected.” Tears dripped down her face, “Maybe I should just stick to the infirmary and stay off missions..”

He sighed and looked down at the floor. “And what happens if your spells are the difference between life and true death and you’re not with us? Look, I understand not wanting to be what you are. Ask Boss how reckless I was for the first several years I was here. I tried my hardest to get killed because I didn’t want to exist. But I came to grips with what I was. You will too eventually. Kiba doesn’t know when to keep his thoughts to himself.”

Andy nodded slowly, “He’s right though, I need to get my shit together.”

Tet gave her a small smile. “Even broken clocks are right twice a day.”

She took a deep breath, “I should probably go talk to him..”

Tet sighed. “You might want to tie him down. He has a habit of avoiding talks.”

She nodded, “Any clue where he’d be?”

“The bomb shelter maybe.. Unless he went off base into the forest. Sometimes he shifts and stays out there when he’s annoyed.”

Andy sighed, standing up before kissing Tet’s cheek, “Thanks.” 

She headed to the bomb shelter first, entering slowly to see if he was there.

“What do you want?” His tone was hostile, his posture tense.

She looked down, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry and I’ll work on getting my shit together. It’s just, when we went to get the books I got the files of everything they did to me, and I’ve been having trouble dealing with it all. I’ll be better next time.” She turned to climb back up the stairs.

“Wait..I should be the one apologizing. I keep forgetting you weren’t born into this, that it was forced on you. Tet is right, I should learn to keep my mouth shut. Just got scared when that dragon tried to roast you..” His shoulders slumped.

“I chose to be here as a witch and necromancer. But then I got turned into a vampire and a shifter and eventually I got used to it, but now apparently I have three shifts because Branch doesn’t know when to stop. I’m so many things, I can’t even keep track.” She leaned against the stairs, “And if a dragon tries to roast me because of my own choices, let it next time. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Tet would turn me into dinner if I did that.” He tried to hide the wince that crossed his face, one hand clasped tight to his stomach. “I like being in one piece, thanks.”

She sighed and approached him, she said a healing spell to help with the pain.

He averted his eyes as he cursed. “Didn’t think I swallowed any..” He tried to move away, but lost his balance.

“What’s wrong?” She said quietly. 

“Apparently I swallowed some dragon blood.. It doesn’t react well on us wolves.” He took a shaky breath, then doubled over.

Andy frowned and started trying different spells to help him. 

He lay on the floor, breathing deeply to counter the pain. “Serves me right..”

Andy knelt beside him and teleported him into the infirmary. She did a few tests before formulating something she hoped would help. She injected it into his arm and waited.

“Should have let me suffer.. I’m such an asshole..” He sighed as the pain receded.

She shook her head, “You needed to knock some sense into me.”

“Could have been nicer about it..” He sleepily protested.

She gave him a small smile, “Just rest for now.”

He chuckled, then closed his eyes.

Tet ran in, holstering a pistol. “Can you leave him?”

“What’s going on?”

“There’s been an attack at the porters’ school. There are reports of injuries..” He trailed off, busying himself with checking another pistol. His eyes were flickering as he visibly tried to compose himself.

“Alright, let’s go.” She grabbed onto his arm and teleported them there.

Smoke drifted through the air as they materialized. She froze as she took in the scene.

It looked like a major battlefield, bodies strewn across the campus. Blood trickled down the pavement into the grassy areas. One building was smoldering.

A familiar beanie caught her eye, then she saw a headful of red hair next to it.

She rushed to his side, kneeling down to check him over.

Ryon was still, bullets peppering him. Blood was pooled around his head as well from a large gash.

She teleported him back to the infirmary before going back to look for the other porters. She looked around sadly at all the bodies, knowing she didn’t have the power to save them all.

“Andy?” Yamae staggered toward her, his shirt bloody. His face was soot streaked and he was listing heavily to the right.

Andy caught him, “What happened?”

“No idea. One minute I was listening to a lecture on calculus, then the roof was falling in and there was smoke. Where’s Ryon and Ryusei?”

“Ryon’s in the infirmary.. Haven’t found Ryusei yet.”

Yamae’s strength finally gave out, sagging in her arms.

She teleported him back and laid him into a bed before heading to look for Ryusei.

Tet grabbed her as she approached the burning building. “He’s not in there..” His voice was raw, his hands shaking.

“Then where is he?”

He slowly led her to the college square, his eyes haunted.

Ryusei had been tied to the metal bulletin board spread eagle. There was a piece of paper impaled on his chest by a large knife. Blood was pooled beneath him, already drying. 

Andy took a deep breath, trying not to cry at the scene. She approached and removed the knife gently before looking at the paper.

**_Animals are for hunting, not educating_ **

Andy growled before moving to untie Ryusei. She brought him into her arms before going back to Tet. She soon teleported them both back to the infirmary before she started healing Yamae. 

After working on him for a little while, she began removing bullets from Ryon. She stitched the wounds closed before muttering spells for healing under her breath. She set up a transfusion before working on reviving him. 

Tet stood staring at Ryusei, his hands clenched and trembling. “Why can’t we be left alone? He never hurt anyone.. They just wanted to live their dreams..” He slammed a hand into the wall as tears streamed down his face.

Andy put a hand on his shoulder, “Unfortunately there are mean and terrible people out there who do things like this. It’s how we respond that is important.” She sighed before moving to work on cleaning and healing Ryusei. After she fixed him up, she focused, gold light surrounding him.

Nothing happened. Tet let out a strangled whimper. 

Andy frowned and began running tests to see what she could find. 

Tet snarled. “They call _us_ animals..” He stalked out, his eyes flickering.

Andy continued running tests, trying to stay calm. She took a blood sample and worked on checking it out, eventually finding poison in it. She worked on formulating an antidote, then injected it into his arm. She focused on him, the gold light once again surrounding him.

He sucked in a breath, coughing as his eyes fluttered open. “Andy.. the others..”

“Ryon and Yamae are safe.”

“Good..” His eyes closed again, his breathing evening out.

“What the hell happened?” Kiba sat up, eyes narrowed.

“There was an attack on their school,” Andy approached with a sigh.

Kiba snarled. “Who?”

Andy shook her head, “I don’t know.”

“I do. Where’s Tet?” Tsukasa gave her a look.

Andy shrugged, “He headed out while I was working on them. Who did this?”

The dragon sighed. “A group I had believed destroyed. The Shifter Hunters. They believe we are inferior and deserve to be hunted for sport.”

Andy growled, “Where can we find them?”

“Don’t know yet. After we killed or arrested the leaders, they went underground.” He scowled. “Tet may have gone looking. Can you find him?”

She gave a nod before focusing, teleporting to Tet’s location.

He lay on the ground unmoving. There was no one else around.

She knelt beside him and teleported him back to the infirmary. She lifted him into a bed before checking him over.

No pulse, no breath, no heartbeat. His skin was cold and pale. No sign of trauma.

She tried reviving him, focusing her power on him.

The light faded away without doing anything.

Andy let out a frustrated sob before starting to do testing like she had on Ryusei. She started with a blood test, eventually finding something odd. She made an antidote and injected it into him and watched with curiosity.

His heartbeat slowly restarted, his pulse steadying after a few minutes. His eyes fluttered open, giving her a confused look. He struggled to breathe, growing more and more agitated as the lack of oxygen caused him to panic.

“Calm down,” she said, “Take slow breaths, everything will be alright.”

Finally, he took a shaky breath, then another. “I was so scared..I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“It’s alright.” She rubbed his arm gently, “Everything is okay.”

“I’m sorry I left.. Ryusei.. I need revenge. He didn’t deserve to die like that..” Tet squeezed his eyes shut at the image. “I can’t visit his grave until the monsters are dead.”

“Ryusei’s alive,” Andy informed. “And I know we’ll go after them, don’t worry.”

His eyes widened in shock. “How? The light didn’t work..”

“He had a poison in his system, so once I got rid of that it worked.”

“They poisoned him too? The knife wasn’t enough?” Tet spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m going to tear them apart.”

“I’m sure Tsukasa’s coming up with some kind of plan.”

“And we get first blood.” Ryon and Yamae looked at them quietly.

She nodded, “Sounds good.”

Tsukasa entered, Daiki trailing quietly behind. “We found them. Or should I say they found us..” He was trying to control his anger, the vampire putting a hand on his arm and softly murmuring in his ear.

“What’s happening?”

He shook his head, handing her a tablet silently. A still picture of a beaten Kenji, Leo and Jade stared at her, the words ‘Our trophies unless you want them back’ along with an address scrawled on it.

Andy growled, “I’m going to rip them to shreds.”

Tet and Kiba began snarling as they looked over her shoulder, their eyes beginning to glow.

Tsukasa shook his head. “Calm down. We go as soon as everyone is able. Scorched earth, just like Branch.”

Andy nodded, “Fine.”

The dragon and vampire turned and left as Kiba gazed intently at Andy. “You got things straight now?”

She nodded, “I’m still not totally fine with things, but I think I’ll be okay. Probably should learn how hawks and snakes fight though..” she gave a small smirk.

“Snakes are sneaky. Just let you step on them and then bite. Hawks just pounce, kinda like your panther.” Kiba gave her a grin.

Tet looked at them in confusion, but didn’t say anything.

Ryusei grimaced, shielding his eyes as he sat up. “Why are you guys looking like we just attracted a nuke?”

“We have some assholes to take care of when everyone is healed and ready,” Andy answered. “The same assholes that attacked your school.”

His eyes darkened. “I’m ready for payback. Where are they?”

“They gave us an address. They kidnapped Kenji, Jade and Leo.” 

His face twisted into a snarl. “Tell me and give me Taka’s launcher. You guys won’t have to do a thing.”

Tet rolled his eyes as Kiba snickered and Ryon got up and smacked the other porter’s head.

“When everyone is ready, we’ll head out,” Andy informed. 

Tet suddenly swore. “Where are they? The phoenixes were part of Kenji’s recon squad but there was no mention of them..”

Andy focused on them before saying the spell to teleport to their location.

Red gold feathers fluttered around her as the wind swirled around her. The twins lay in a heap, blood streaked and still. 

Andy knelt beside them to start checking them over.

Akira’s eyes stared sightlessly at her, multiple injuries visible. Taka shakily grabbed her hand. “Save them..” His breathing hitched as he struggled to focus on her.

“We will,” she assured. She teleported them to the infirmary before saying spells to start healing their injuries.

Tet stood beside her, his jaw twitching as he watched Taka close his eyes. “Maybe you should stay here?”

She shook her head, “We can go when I’m done taking care of them.”

“They’ll be safe here? Alone?”

Andy sighed, “They should be.”

“Alright. We’re getting ready. Little worried about Ryusei. He’s pretty vicious right now.”

“Want me to knock him out?”

“He’d be mad as hell, but it might be a good idea. I mean, I understand his anger and his desire to kick these assholes where it hurts, but he seems more interested in torturing them.”

“I’ll talk to him first, okay?” She headed off to find Ryusei. When she spotted him, “Hey. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?” He pretended to study a stun gun, not meeting her eyes.

“Well, it _is_ my job to make sure everyone’s okay,” she said with a small smile. “How are you holding up though? I mean you were hurt pretty badly, and your school was attacked. It’s understandable for you to not be fine.”

“I’m angry. What the fuck did we ever do to anyone? All we wanted was to study what we were interested in. Instead some racist nutjobs start shooting.. How many innocents lost their lives because these assholes thought it would be fun?” He slammed his hands on the table.

Andy sighed, “I’d have brought them all back if I could have.” She looked at him for a moment before wrapping her arms around him, “I’m sorry you had to go through this.”

He hung on to her for a minute. “I’m used to getting picked on by bad guys cause I look young. But seeing everyone else…” He closed his eyes tiredly. “I can’t sleep yet..”

Andy nodded in understanding, “We’ll get revenge on them, but remember to stay in control of your anger. If you let it run wild, bad things might happen. I just don’t want you getting hurt again.”

He slowly nodded, swaying slightly as he forced his eyes open. 

She frowned, “Are you really sure you’re up for this? We can wait a bit longer or go without you if you need more rest.”

“I..” He slumped into her arms as he lost the fight to stay awake.

  
Andy gently lifted him and carried him to the infirmary, laying him in a bed and tucking the blankets around him. She kissed his forehead before heading back out to Tet.

“How is he?” The tiger asked worriedly. “Did you have to drug him?”

“He’ll be okay, but he passed out.”

Tet frowned, then nodded. “One less person to worry about, I guess.”

Andy took a deep breath, “We should probably get going.”

As if summoned, Tsukasa appeared in full gear. “Listen up. Our top priority is getting our three back. Once we have them, feel free to vaporize these assholes. Andy, you know the drill. Get our boys back here, then help with any other wounded.”

He paused. “We’ve dealt with these jerks before, but they’re new to you. They have a habit of videotaping their tortures. There may be more victims of them, use your discretion if you find any.”

She nodded as she tried to think of how her shifts could help fight. “Let’s do this.” 

“Lock and Load. Andy, ‘path the address to the porters.” He stood next to Ryon and several other team members.

Andy did as she was told before holding onto Tet and Kiba and teleporting to the location.

Seconds later, the rest of the team appeared. Tsukasa crouched beside the building’s door, then nodded and kicked it in.

Andy headed inside, glancing around for enemies or her teammates.

A big shaved head poked its head into the room. “Ah fuck!” An arm holding a pistol appeared.

Suddenly the body dropped, a hole between the eyes. Kiba didn’t stop moving, passing the body without a second look as he headed further in.

Andy continued on, still looking for signs of her friends. She spotted a few more enemies appearing and she quickly shifted, a black snake slithered up to them. She chuckled internally when one of them jumped at the sight. She crawled up one of them and wrapped herself around his throat and tightened until he fell to the ground. She then shifted into her panther form and pounced on the other two, ripping them apart with her claws.

Tet raised an eyebrow, then began fighting a man who had snuck behind him. He grunted as a punch connected, then slammed a knee into the man’s face. He swayed a little, then started forward. “Come on.”

Andy shifted back into human form and continued to move forward. She finally spotted her friends down into a long room, but then noticed a large group of men who were also in the room. She grabbed her pistol and started shooting until a few men got to her. She dodged a hit by shifting into her panther form and knocking the man over. She bit into him, draining him quickly before turning and growling at the other two. She was so focused on getting to her friends, she didn’t feel much when someone started shooting at her. She got the two men down, then turned toward the shooter, quickly shifting again, this time into a large hawk, and flying toward him, ripping into him with her talons. When she was finally free of attackers, she rushed to her friends and grabbed onto them, teleporting them to the safety of the infirmary before returning to the battle.

There was the sound of intense fighting in the opposite direction. She saw a transformed Zal for a split second before he disappeared. She could see a jet of flame envelop two shooters, but couldn’t see who’d shot it. Tet slowly stumbled into the hall, then fell face down.

An explosion rocked the building from the basement area.

Andy quickly teleported Tet out of the building before returning, heading into the room where the majority of the fighting was taking place. 

Bodies littered the floor, several others tied to one wall. Tsukasa was leaning heavily on Daiki, one shoulder leaking blood.

“We had an incident below with a weapons cache. No one’s answering. Find out.” Tsukasa ordered Kiba who gave a grim nod and disappeared down a set of stairs.

Andy looked Tsukasa over for a moment before saying a healing spell for him. She then followed Kiba.

He was kneeling beside Jack and Yamae. Apparently they’d tripped a booby trap, setting off several grenades nearby. She noticed several shiny patches on Kiba’s dark jumpsuit.

Andy frowned, “What are those?”

He shook his head. “Nothing important. We need to get them to the infirmary.”

Andy sighed, holding onto Jack and Yamae before grabbing Kiba as well. She teleported them into the infirmary before teleporting back to Tsukasa’s location. “I got Jack and Yamae, Kiba and Tet, as well as the three who were kidnapped. Where’s everyone else?” She noticed he was still leaning on Daiki. 

“Rei and Yoshi headed upstairs. Ryon and Shouma disappeared down that way.” Tsukasa waved a hand around the corner. Daiki scowled as he pushed Tsukasa into her arms. 

“Take care of this idiot. I’ll find our wayward members.” The vampire shakily weaved toward the stairs leading up.

Andy sighed and teleported Tsukasa back to the infirmary. She pushed him into a bed before making sure the others were all in beds too. She winced as she noticed blood coming from her side. She took a deep breath and focused on getting back to the mission. She headed back and went to the stairs, searching for Daiki and the twins.

A few minutes later, the two appeared. They gave audible sighs of relief as they saw her. “A little help getting home?” They were supporting an unconscious Daiki, blood making tracks on the floor behind them.

She teleported them back, “Start basic first aid on whoever seems worst. I’ll be back to help in a few.” She headed back, looking for Ryon, Shouma and Zal.

She found the three of them together, Zal and Shouma lying unconscious on the floor. Ryon was sitting against a wall, his eyes staring at nothing. His hands were limply pressed against his stomach in a futile attempt to stop the hemorrhage.

A dead man lay between the three, a knife in his throat.

Andy quickly moved the three closer together before teleporting them back to the base. She got them into beds before taking a moment, leaning on a chair before going to get the supplies she needed. She started with the worst injured first and spent the next few hours working with Rei and Yoshi to bandage and heal the team. 

Shouma woke, giving a cry when he saw Ryon.

Andy went over to him, “Don’t worry, he’ll be alright.”

“He pushed me out of the way.. It was supposed to be me..”

“It’s okay. He was just protecting you because he cares about you. But he’s going to be alright, so don’t worry.”

A flash of black heading for the infirmary door caught her attention.

Andy quickly turned, “Get back into bed.”

“I’m fine. Just going to get out of your hair.” Kiba tried to act nonchalant, his pallor making a lie of his light words.

Andy sighed, “Kiba, get back into bed before I freeze you. You’re not getting out of here without me checking you over.” 

“I said I’m fine.” He stubbornly glared at her.

“I can tell you’re lying. Why don’t you want me helping you?”

“You’ve got too many patients.” He grabbed his hands as he began trembling and suddenly grew paler. Blood began trickling out of his fatigue leg onto the floor. 

Andy went to him and dragged him back into a bed before checking him over. She said a few spells to help start the healing process. “Just rest, okay?” She glanced at the twins, “Who still needs help?” She took a deep breath as she tried to ignore the growing pain in her side. 

“Just need Ryon revived, then that idiot you just lectured. Think Ryon will be easier.” Rei fought a chuckle as Kiba took advantage of Andy being distracted and tried to slide off the bed. “Maybe you should put him in a coma..” 

Andy looked back at Kiba, reaching out and grabbing his hand, “Please just let me help you.”

He sheepishly dropped his eyes, tightening hold as he grimaced and gingerly probed his side.

She said some more healing spells before saying a spell to put him to sleep. She watched as his eyes slid closed and she readjusted him on the bed, pulling blankets up around him.

She sat down for a minute, pain and lightheadedness taking her over. She eventually pushed herself up, shakily moving toward Ryon and starting the process to revive him.

“Maybe you should wait. You don’t look good.” Yoshi approached slowly.

Andy ignored him and focused, the gold light starting to surround Ryon. She watched until he finally sucked in air before leaning heavily on the end of his bed. 

“That’s it. You’re getting looked at.” The twins each took an arm, moving her to an empty bed. Rei gathered supplies as Yoshi began to examine her side gently.

“Pretty sure I was shot. Not sure if the bullet is still in it or not,” she said as she laid her head back. 

“Looks like a clean in and out.” He began cleaning it as Rei threaded a needle. “A few stitches and rest is all that’s needed.”

She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the pain.

She felt a pinch in her arm, then the pain disappeared. She soon was fast asleep.

She woke slowly, taking in the sounds of people breathing and machines whirring before opening her eyes. She glanced around the infirmary, wincing as she touched the bandage on her side.

“Welcome back.” Yamae said softly from his seat beside his brother. “Feeling better?”

“A little,” she gave a small smile, “How are you feeling?”

“Very lucky thanks to you. Damned booby traps.” He gave a half smile.

“How’s Ryon doing?” She tried to glance at the monitors.

“Hanging on. He’s stubborn.” Yamae gently held the unconscious man’s hand. “Did you _really_ knock Kiba out with a sleep spell?”

Andy chuckled, making her wince. “Yeah, he wasn’t listening.”

The porter sent a glance toward the snoring wolf. “That’ll teach him..maybe.”

“Probably not, but at least I know the sleeping spell works on him so I can use it again next time.”

“Good to know. I’ll remember not to annoy you too much.” He flashed a grin.

Andy glanced over at Kiba for a moment before looking over at Tet. She leaned back onto the pillows, blinking her eyes sleepily.

“You need more rest. Everyone’s fine right now. Bit of good news. The Shifter Hunters are officially defunct. Your clinic called. One of the victims in their hideout was brought there. Someone by the name of Akasa? He’s asking for you.” 

Andy nodded, “I’ll go there when I’m a bit better.”

Yamae looked at her impishly. “Is he an ex? Can I video Tet getting defensive?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “He’s not an ex. He’s a nurse. Didn’t expect he’d be in this world, though.”

Yamae shrugged. “The clinic said he wanted you to hold on to some kind of book for him?”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “Interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him. We used to be really good friends, but life kind of dragged me here.” She gave a small chuckle before closing her eyes.

Nightmares of the Branch scientists plagued her mind as she slept. She’d been having nightmares at least a few times a week since she’d been back from them, her mind playing through a mix of her actual memories and information she’d read about. She whimpered in her sleep as her mind kept racing through scenes.

“Andy? Andy, wake up. You’re safe.” Tet’s voice was soft as he brushed her hair out of her eyes.

She blinked an eye open and looked up at him. “Sorry..”

“No need to apologize. Are you feeling better?”

She took a moment to analyze herself, then nodded, “Still sore but a lot better than before.”

He smiled. “Hungry?”

“Yeah,” she nodded again.

“Good. I cooked and want to show the guys they won’t die if they eat it.” He gave a roll of his eyes.

She chuckled, “Alright.” She pushed herself up.

“You up for that?” He watched her carefully, ready to help if needed.

“I should be able to make it to the kitchen,” she gave a small smile before starting to head to the door. 

He walked beside her, matching her pace. “Kiba’s a little sulky. Told him he deserved it.”

“He wasn’t listening so I had to do something.” They reached the kitchen and Andy opened the door slowly. She headed to grab a plate.

Yamae and Ryusei exchanged looks as Tet loaded it with food. “You _are_ brave..”

She chuckled and went to sit down before starting to eat.

Tet stuck his tongue out at the porters. “See?”

“It’s good,” Andy nodded. 

Ryusei’s eyes narrowed. “See her use any spells?”

Yamae shook his head. “She could be trying to poison us for being such pains in the ass?”

Tet growled good naturedly. “Fine. You guys can starve then.”

Andy was quiet as she ate, still a little sleepy from the medicine. 

Finally Tsukasa entered, not hesitating in getting food. As he sat, the porters shrugged and gave in. They loaded their plates and sat down with nervous smiles at Tet.

Andy finished her food, continuing to sit there as she watched the others. Eventually, she got up and put her plate in the sink before starting to head back to the infirmary.

The porters chorused apologies to Tet as he followed her. He huffed and shook his head. “The things I put up with…”

Andy gave a tired laugh before remembering, “Sorry I didn’t mention my other shifts.. I found out about them when we got the books from the Branch..”

“I remember you and Kiba having a conversation a while ago. I thought they were pretty awesome myself.”

She grinned, “Thanks.” she opened the door to the infirmary. “I guess having the shifts helps when it comes to fighting, but I wish they never screwed with me in the first place.”

He gently hugged her. “I know. But you really saved the day with them.” His eyes glanced at Ryon’s bed sadly.

Andy followed his gaze before moving to Ryon’s side. She checked his vitals and the monitor readouts before saying a few more spells to help him. She watched him for another minute before moving back to the bed she’d been using.

“Any idea why it’s taking so long for him?” Tet sat down slowly.

“Not sure, but if he’s not up in the next couple days I’ll do some testing and see.”

The tiger nodded, then narrowed his eyes at her. “What’s this I hear about a guy wanting to see you?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “He’s just a friend. He’s a nurse.”

Tet gave her a grin. “Just as long as he knows you’re taken.”

She chuckled before yawning. She closed her eyes and soon fell back to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Andy looked Ryon over before doing some scans. She ran a few more tests before finding a spell from her mothers book and reciting it. It seemed the damage his body took wasn’t healing as well as she’d hoped which was causing him to stay out longer. She hoped with this new spell he’d be up in a few hours.

She headed to get changed before heading out to her car. She made her way to the clinic, smiling as she entered. She hated to admit how much she missed it, but she wouldn’t trade the team for anything. 

After heading back to her office, she met with Akasa.

“Andy, it’s good to see you.”

“You too. I was surprised to hear you were a victim. I didn’t know you knew about that kind of thing.”

He reddened. “Tried to stop them. I hid who I was from you. Sorry.”

“It’s alright. I understand. I didn’t know I was a witch until the clinic got attacked by hounds... And since then it’s been a crazy life. That’s why I’m not here at the clinic anymore, I’m working with a group of shifters, porters and vampires.”

His eyes widened. “Wow. Your first experience was with  _ hounds _ ? I would have run screaming to another country.” He paused and held out a large book. “I have a favor and a question to ask.”

“Hounds are nothing compared to what I’ve dealt with since,” she chuckled. “What’s up?”

“Would you hold on to this? I don’t trust anyone but you. And I need a job. My last one fired me for disappearing for so long.”

Andy looked thoughtful, “Do you want a normal job at the clinic or a dangerous job with the military fighting monsters?”

“I’m tired of hiding. I want to make a difference.” He gazed at her steadily. “I promised myself for the last three months that if I got out alive, I wanted to help our kind somehow.” 

Andy nodded and picked up her cell phone. She quickly dialled Tsukasa.

“You’re not in trouble are you?” The dragon said solemnly.

Andy rolled her eyes, “No I’m fine. I was wondering if we could hire a nurse. I know someone interested.”

“With how often you’re in a bed, it’s probably a good idea. By the way, guess who opened their pretty green eyes finally?”

  
“Oh good, he’s up? I’m glad the spell worked.”

“Bring whoever wants in to the base later. Tet wants to know if you’re still meeting him for lunch?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Alright. Have some fun, you earned it.” The phone clicked.

Andy smiled at Akasa, “You have a job. We have at least a few teleporters, a few dragons, a tiger, and a wolf, and a few vamps. And then there’s me who’s a bit of everything... You might want to learn a bit about animal anatomy in your free time.”

He took a deep breath and disappeared. In his place was a king cobra.

“Nice,” Andy smiled. “I’m a snake, panther, and hawk. And vampire.. Branch really screwed me up.” 

He reverted, his eyes tense. “They still exist?” His words were laced with intense rage.

“Not sure.. I’ve taken them down twice now..” She sighed as she tried to push away the memories.

Akasa suddenly looked at her. “Andy, is your boss a big black dragon who has a vampire aide?”

“Yeah... You know him?”

“He pulled me out of Branch when I was a kid..”

Andy nodded, “He’s nice. His name is Tsukasa, though the others just call him Boss. Daiki is his aide.”

Akasa was staring at her. “Are you telling me  _ you’re  _ part of the group that took out that lunatic Seltain?!”

“On top of what else I said I was, I’m also a necromancer... He was after me so I kind of got sucked into all of this. And yes, I took him out.”

“Holy shit… my friend is a legend.” He shook his head in amazement.

Andy chuckled softly, “I don’t know about that.” She wrote down an address, “Come by the base later and we’ll get you all set up.” 

He took the paper, looking at her. “Believe me, you’re a legend among us. You all are. And I’ll be by as soon as I get released.”

She nodded, “I’m going to lunch but then I’ll be back there.” She smiled and headed out to her car. She started it up and quickly headed off toward the place she was meeting Tet. Her car sped up quickly, continuing to do so even when she took her foot off the gas. She pressed the brakes but nothing happened. She tried to avoid hitting anything as her car got up to dangerous speeds. She saw a large brick building and she looked to see if she could avoid it but there were people in the way. She quickly said a barrier spell to try to protect her before the car slammed into the brick.

Tet growled as he called Andy again. Where could she be? he wondered as it went straight to voicemail. He resisted the urge to slam the phone down, instead just angrily jabbing the disconnect button. He had just laid it on the table when it rang.

“Andy?” His heart froze as Tsukasa answered.

“No, it’s me. Are you sitting down?”

Tet swallowed hard before answering. “Yeah, Boss. What happened?”

“Andy was apparently in an accident. She hit a brick building at a high rate of speed.”

“Oh god...is she alive?” Tet forced his voice calm.

“Yes.. but the doctors aren’t optimistic. She’s at Metro Hospital. You have been listed as fiance so you can be in the ICU.” The phone clicked off as Tet finally let the tears out. After a few minutes, he ran for his car. 

Andy felt a warm comforting light shining on her before she opened her eyes. She blinked in confusion as she saw her parents. “Mom? Dad?”

They gave her matching smiles. “Hello Daka.”

She tried to remember what she was doing before but was having trouble. “How are you here?”

“Daka, you have a choice right now. Come with us or stay.”

“Stay?” She asked in confusion. “I don’t want you to leave again.”

Her father looked at her gently. “Do you want to come with us or stay with your tiger?”

“Why do I have to choose? I miss you so much but I don’t want to lose him either.”

Her mother spoke. “You are hovering between life and death right now. I’m sure you can figure out what I’m saying. You’ve always been so smart.”

“I don’t want to leave you... but I know he needs me.”

Her father nodded. “He’s near breaking, Daka. He hasn’t left your side in the week you’ve been here. I fear he is about to try to join us.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I should probably get to him then...”

“Be happy, Daka. We’ll be waiting when it’s your time.” They slowly receded into the light.

Tet’s voice broke through the haze. “Her brakes were cut? Goddammit! I know who did this!” The sound of something shattering rang loudly. “Andy, wait for me. I’m going to make those bastards pay and join you wherever you are.”

The sounds of beeping sped up as her heartbeat picked up speed. She let out a whispered, “Tet?”

“Andy?” His voice was raw from crying. “Please say I’m not hearing things…”

“I’m here,” she said just slightly louder. She struggled to open her eyes, finally getting them cracked to try to look at him.

His eyes were red, stubble covered his face. He started to cry as he saw her eyes open. “Thank god..the doctors said it was a matter of time before I lost you..” He grasped her hand gently as he kissed her forehead. “I was terrified..”

“Saw my parents..” a tear dripped from her eyes. 

He sighed, looking at the bed. “I took you away from them, didn’t I?”

She tried to shake her head, confused when she found it difficult. 

“You’re in a neck brace. You sustained a nasty fracture along with head trauma.” He smoothed her hair away, his eyes glistening with tears.

“Sorry..”

“What did I tell you about apologizing?” A faint smile flitted across his face. “It wasn’t your fault. Your car’s brakes were cut and the engine was tampered with. We suspect Branch. We’re getting ready to hit them.”

“Is everyone else okay?”

“Everyone’s fine. Just worried about you. Met your friend. He’s fitting in nicely.”

“That’s good,” she said, struggling to keep her eyes open. 

“Sleep, Andy. I’ll be back soon. One of the others will be here if you need anything.” He kissed her lightly on the lips before leaving.

She fell asleep quickly, the medicine dragging her under. 

When she woke again, she tried to move even though she knew she shouldn’t. She weakly pushed herself into a sitting position before looking around.

“Feeling better?” Daiki asked dryly.

“Can’t feel much of anything with the meds they have me on...” 

“Been there, done that. Nice to be having a conversation for a change though.” He stretched his body before resuming his seat. “The doctors are pulling their hair out trying to discover how you cheated death.”

“You don’t have to sit here and watch me, you know.” 

“Tsukasa’s orders. You are not to be left alone. It’s not safe yet.” He rubbed his face, staring into the distance.

She sighed in response, “What’s happening?”

“Tsukasa is trying to figure out how to get you out of here. At least if Branch retaliates, we can somewhat protect you. At the same time, we’re trying to find a weak point since the first try didn’t work.” He covered his face and closed his eyes wearily.

“Once I’m better I’ll take them down. I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again.”

“That’s our Andy. Positive even when the world is ending. Tet loved that about you.”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “Where’s Tet?”

Daiki avoided her gaze. “Hopefully Tsukasa has gotten you discharged. I should go see.” He stood and headed for the door.

Andy frowned before attempting to move more.

He stopped, spinning on his heel to face her. “You stay there until Tsukasa says so. You’re nowhere near healed.”

She sighed and stopped moving, then waited.

Daiki gave a nod, then exited. Ten minutes later, he pushed a wheelchair in. He had a bag of her belongings and new clothing. “You’ve been sprung.” He tried to joke, but it rang hollow.

Andy got up slowly, legs weak as she leaned on the bed. She shakily pushed herself away from it and took a few steps.

Daiki moved towards her. “Why don’t we get you in the chair and worry about the clothes later?”

She sighed before nodding, moving into the chair. 

The vampire wrapped a blanket around her, then pushed her out of the room. Tsukasa was waiting, his eyes tired and sad. Without a word, he led them out to a jeep. 

Daiki quickly got her settled, returning the chair as Tsukasa clicked his seat belt.

Andy stared out the window, eventually closing her eyes to rest.

Daiki watched her as the dragon drove silently. “She’s going to go nuclear..”

Tsukasa gripped the wheel harder. “I know. We need to be prepared.”

They fell silent as they drove through the base gate and parked.

Andy woke feeling the car stop. She pushed her eyes open and looked around, noticing they arrived at the base. She opened the door and tried to push herself up.

“Andy, stop. Let me help you.” Daiki swept her into his arms and carried her into the infirmary, laying her on a bed. She noticed a few beds full, the occupants all unconscious and seriously injured.

“Where’s Akasa?”

“Getting some sleep. He wore himself out.” Daiki clenched his fists as he surveyed the room.

Andy took a deep breath, “How many have we lost? And don’t avoid the question.”

“Four.” The word was whispered, the vampire’s face falling.

“Are they in the freezer?”

Daiki nodded reluctantly. “You’re in no shape.”

Andy sighed, “Who are the four?”

“Kiba, Yamae, Kenji..” Daiki’s voice broke and he shook his head.

Andy nodded slowly, wincing as she remembered her injuries. She laid back and stared at the ceiling for a while. 

Daiki composed himself. “Try to sleep, okay?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly, eventually closing her eyes and falling asleep. 

When she awoke, she looked around, struggling to turn her head. 

Akasa moved to her side. “Didn’t realize the job was so insane.” He gave her a sad smile.

“Yeah, a bit. You’ll get used to it.” She tried to look around more, “Is anyone else conscious in here?”

“Jack. Don’t expect much conversation though. His throat took some damage. Everyone else is still out. We were damn lucky.”

“How many healing spells do you know?” 

“Only the basics. Enough to fix most light damage, some that can be used to keep serious injuries from becoming fatal.” He sighed. “Barely in a few cases.”

“Go to my room. There’s a purple book of shadows on my dresser. It has a bunch of healing spells in it.”

He nodded, heading for the door. Five minutes later, he was back. His eyes widened as he flipped through the book. “Amazing..”

“Page 18 will help Jack. I don’t know what’s wrong with the others, but pages 40 and 82 have decent general healing spells.”

“Got any good ones for burns and dragon bites?”

Andy looked thoughtful, “203 for burns. 66 for bites I think?”

Akasa sighed in relief, turning to the pages specified and heading for several beds.

She watched him for a few minutes as he worked, praying the spells helped.

An hour later, he moved back to her side. “So glad you had these. I was worried we were going to lose Jade and Ryusei.”

“When you’re up to it, I have something I want you to do. Consider it more training.”

His eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

Andy looked down, “Healing a few dead bodies...” 

“That’s possible?”

“Well yeah, they have to be healed a bit more before I can revive them..”

“I just thought.. It would be too difficult to do something like that. But then I’m not experienced.” He frowned. “They’ve been in the freezer since they were returned..”

“I mean, if you don’t think you can do it, I understand. I just thought you might want to try.” She tried to shrug before wincing again. “If you want to try, you can help me get in a wheelchair and I’ll help tell you what spells to use?”

He nodded, heading for a storage room and returning with a wheelchair. He helped her into it, then crouched to look at her. “I’m going to warn you..it’s not pretty.”

She sighed, “I figured.” 

He stood, wheeling her to the freezer. He opened it, pushing three gurneys out. He unzipped them, standing close as she got a look inside.

Each of the men had been butchered, the only undamaged parts being the faces.

“From what we understand, they were kept alive until they couldn’t be..” The words were spat venomously.

Andy sighed, “Show me what spells you know. How would you go about starting this?”

He recited a spell, some of the lacerations vanishing.

“Try this one,” she recited it aloud for him to hear as she performed it on the nearest body.

His mouth fell open as most of the wounds disappeared.

She raised an eyebrow, “Go on.”

He snapped his jaw shut, then recited the spell himself. He looked on in amazement as the bodies began to look human again.

She said one more just to make sure everything was doing well before she looked at Akasa. “Please show me Tet. What did they do to him?”

Akasa froze, his eyes darting around nervously.

“What? Will you  _ please  _ tell me what happened to him?”

“He’s not here. Branch kept him..” Akasa took several steps back in fear.

Andy took a deep breath, closing her eyes to try to keep calm. She then opened her eyes and focused on the three bodies, gold light shining around them.

Akasa almost fell when all of them began breathing steadily. “My god..”

“You might want to get them to the infirmary now so they warm up.” She pushed the wheels down the hall to her room. She said a spell to try to give herself more energy before she got up out of the chair and changed her clothes. She then grabbed her pistol off the table before saying the teleportation spell to get her to Tet’s location. 

There was a cry of alarm as she appeared inside a testing room. Several scientists began advancing on her as Tet looked at her through glassy eyes.

Andy pounced at them, turning into a panther. She ripped through them with her claws, sinking her teeth into a couple and draining them. She took a few hits but kept on moving, taking down all the scientists in the room. She looked at Tet with concern, “Tet? Are you in there?”

“You found me..” His voice was almost inaudible, his eyes starting to dilate.

Andy grabbed onto him and teleported him to the infirmary. She looked at Akasa, “Keep an eye on him for a few minutes. Make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone or himself, okay?” 

The nurse nodded, quickly moving to his side.

Andy teleported back to the building, this time in front of it. She recited a spell to rain fireballs upon the building. She saw some scientists exiting, a few guards with weapons as well. She started taking them down, back in her panther form. The guards started shooting. She was glad the pain meds were still kicked in to dull the pain from the few shots she couldn’t dodge. She finally took out the rest of the guards and scientists outside, and watched the building burning. She finally focused on the infirmary and teleported back there, collapsing onto the floor as she fell unconscious.

Akasa glanced sadly at her, then gently picked her up and laid her on a bed. Then he wheeled Tet out of the infirmary.

Andy woke to pain racing through her. She moved to sit up and tried to stretch, causing more pain. 

“You want medication?” Akasa’s voice was subdued.

“That would be great. How’s Tet?”

Akasa hung his head. “I’m sorry.. I couldn’t- I tried but I couldn’t.. He said he loved you and to tell you sorry..”

Andy’s eyes filled with tears as she tried to push herself out of the bed. 

The nurse gently pushed her down as he gave her a shot.

Andy continued to try to move even though the medicine was starting to kick in. 

“I’ll take care of him, I swear.” Akasa’s voice trembled.

Andy sighed as she gave in to the medicine, falling unconscious.

When she woke again, she remembered she was trying to get to Tet so she pushed herself to her feet, swaying on the spot. 

Akasa appeared silently, helping her to walk to the freezer. He opened it, pulling the bed out. “I used the spells you taught me.”

Tet looked peaceful, all evidence of trauma gone. His hair lay in his eyes and she brushed it back gently.

She focused on him, gold light shining bright.

His chest began to move, his eyes flickering rapidly. They shot open as he began to yell. “You can’t have her! I’ll kill myself so you can’t revive me!”

Andy spoke gently, “Tet, you’re safe. I’m safe. Everything is alright.”

His eyes met hers. “Safe..” He reached for her, shaking as the adrenaline wore off. “They tried to get me to tell where you were. Over and over again..”

“I’m sorry. You’re safe now though, okay?” She moved slowly and wrapped her arms around him.

“Don’t leave me..” The words were slurred as he fought to stay awake. “Don’t ever leave me. Promise me you’ll take me with you…”

“I won’t leave you, don’t worry.”

He sighed, eyes closing.

She kissed his forehead. “Just rest. Everything is alright.” She laid him down on the bed before looking at Akasa, “Get him to the infirmary.” She started slowly back toward there herself.

The bed passed her as Tet was transferred. A minute later, Akasa was picking her up and bringing her in as well. He laid her in a bed beside Tet’s, making sure he was close enough for her to touch.

She watched Tet for a minute before falling asleep.

Andy woke slowly, first feeling a dull pain in her neck and head. She finally became fully conscious and remembered she was still in the infirmary. She blinked her eyes open to glance over at Tet’s bed to check on him.

He was asleep, curled up in a blanket looking like a child. He had a slight smile on his face and as she watched he murmured her name.

Andy gave a small smile before adjusting. She looked around the room to see if anyone else was conscious.

Jack and Yamae wiggled their fingers at her with smiles. The rest of the room’s occupants were asleep.

“Don’t even think of breaking out. That goes triple for you.” Tsukasa glared at Andy even as a smile flitted across his face.

She gave a sleepy smile, “Not going anywhere.”

“Call the newspapers. It’s a miracle.” Ryon walked in and leaned over his brother with a relieved smile.

Tsukasa fought a laugh.

Andy chuckled softly in response. “Anything new going on?”

Tsukasa sighed. “The Council is pissed, but I don’t fucking care. What I do care about is my vampires were called to Conclave. Waiting for them to return now.”

Andy frowned, “What’s going on at the Conclave this time?”

“No fucking clue. That’s what worries me. After what’s happened, it could be as simple as an apology to Tet or a declaration of war. I’m really hoping they realized their mistake and want to apologize because we  _ don’t _ need a fight right now.” He reached for the aspirin, shaking a few out and chewing them with a grimace.

“Too bad I’m not feeling better or I’d go. Though they probably don’t want me there after last time.”

Jack chuckled. “Understatement of the century.” He slowly sat up. “Boss, I’m perfectly fine. Maybe I should go?”

Tsukasa scowled, then nodded. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

“So no nukes but everything else is on the list. Got it.” Jack got out of bed and glided out as Tsukasa’s jaw dropped open.

Andy gave a small laugh, “Definitely sounds like he’s planning for war.”

Tsukasa closed his mouth, glaring at the twins who were struggling not to laugh.

“He’s definitely hung around Boss too long.” Yamae managed to get out between chuckles.

Ryon faced the window, his shoulders shaking silently.

Andy smiled before rubbing her head. She wished her head would stop hurting, and the thought crossed her mind of looking through the book of shadows for a spell to help but she didn’t think she had the focus for it. She’d have to remember to ask Akasa when she saw him.

“Andy?” Tet’s voice was quiet. 

Andy looked over and gave him a small smile, “Hey, how are you?”

“Confused. But I’m starting to think that’s par for the course around here.. I distinctly remember you holding me?” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what happened..”

“All I know is you guys tried to take down Branch and you got caught. I came and saved you.”

“Don’t worry Shere Khan. It’s just a day ending in Y.” Yamae’s eyes twinkled.

Andy gave a small chuckle as she looked back at Tet.

He gave a rueful chuckle, then eyed Tsukasa. “Are you okay?”

The dragon shrugged. “Just a head..” A grimace crossed his face seconds before he collapsed to the floor. Ryon raced to his side, cursing as he touched Tsukasa’s face. “He’s burning up.”

Andy pushed herself up, “Get him into a bed.” She slowly followed and then began checking Tsukasa over. She said a spell to help with the fever and watched as his temperature slowly fell. “Looks like he’s just sick. Could be from stress.”

Tet let out a relieved whistle. “Not a bit surprised. He always takes the heat for us.”

Akasa came in, shaking his head as he saw her up. “Why am I not shocked?” He muttered a spell as he touched her shoulder.

She felt the pain start to ease away. “Thank you.”

“I figured if you’re going to be up, then you should at least be pain free for awhile.” He glanced around with a small smile which disappeared as his eyes landed on the empty bed in the corner.

“Damn him..”

Andy looked around before realizing, “Kiba, isn’t it?”

He scowled before nodding. “He had nightmares all night. I thought the sedative would keep him out but I guess not.”

Andy sighed, “Don’t worry, I’ll find him.” She gave Tet a small smile before she headed out of the infirmary. She started by checking his room first, and after finding it empty, she tried the shelter. She headed down the stairs slowly, “Kiba?”

“Go away.”

“What’s wrong? Why are you hiding down here by yourself?”

“I-I’m a monster.. I can’t stop seeing what they made me do...the screams..” He emerged from the shadows, his eyes haunted as he trembled.

“It’s not your fault,” she said softly as she approached. She wrapped her arms around him, “I don’t know what they made you do, but I know it’s not your fault.”

“Kenji. Yamae. I killed them. Branch kept reviving them, then making me do it again and again. They kept injecting me with something.. It made me lose myself..” He covered his face as he started to sob. “How can I face them?”

She held him tightly, “Branch was reviving...?” She said quietly before sighing, “They won’t blame you. You didn’t blame me or Tet when we lost control, why would any of us blame you? They were controlling you, it’s not like you did it of your own choice.” She ran a hand through his hair, “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I know how hard it is to deal with those kinds of things.”

He was sobbing so hard he fought to breathe. “They’re going to hate me.. I should just run away..”

“They won’t hate you,” Andy assured before adding, “Please don’t run away. Tet and I need you. The team needs you. We all care about you.”

“How can you? How can you trust me?” He raised his face to look at her in anguish. “I could go insane and kill you all..”

“I trust you because I know the real you. You wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose.” She gently wiped away some of his tears, “I trust you with my life. I know the team does as well.”

He buried his face in her chest, the sobs beginning to turn into sniffling as he started to drift off. “I don’t deserve it..”

“Yes you do. You deserve all the trust and love that we give you,” she said softly. “We all care about you.” 

A snore answered her.

Andy gave a small smile before saying the spell to teleport them to the infirmary. She continued to hold him until she got Akasa to set him in a bed next to Tet. 

“He okay?” Tet gave him a worried glance.

“He ran because of us, didn’t he?” Yamae’s voice was soft and sad.

Andy gave a small nod, “He thinks you’ll hate him and thinks none of us should trust him. I hope I’ve convinced him otherwise..”

“What the fuck?” Tet shot up, his voice rising.

“It wasn’t him. We know that.” Yamae’s eyes glittered angrily. “If I could get my hands on them…”

“At least they’re gone now.” 

“What’s happening?” Tsukasa asked sleepily.

“You got stress sick and your brother was having issues dealing with things. Don’t worry though, everything is alright for now.”

“He was really freaking out last night.” The dragon blinked his eyes open and sat up slowly. “He even apologized to my parents for being a lousy son..” He clenched his fists in anger. “It was the other way around but he won’t accept it.. Are the vampires back yet?”

Andy looked around, “Not that I know of?” 

The radio on the desk crackled to life, Leo’s voice grim. “Jack and Zal are back with an ultimatum from the vamps. Can Andy come out here?”

Tsukasa looked at her in alarm. “Where’s Daiki?”

Andy frowned, “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. Just try to rest.” She took a deep breath before heading out of the infirmary.

Leo was cradling Zal, his head bowed. Jack lay next to them, unmoving. The leopard looked up at her, his eyes blazing. “They want Tet. Or Daiki dies.”

Andy growled, “I’m not letting either of those happen.” She knelt beside him and checked over Zal, saying a few spells to work on healing him. She then moved to Jack and did the same. She stood and paced for a minute as she tried to come up with a plan. 

Finally she took a deep breath before starting to focus. “This is a crazy plan, so if something happens, apologize to Tet for me.” She suddenly teleported to Daiki’s location, grabbing onto him and teleporting him out. She glimpsed a group of angry vampires in the process. She dropped Daiki back by Leo before going back to the Conclave. She prepared herself for a fight as she reappeared in front of the vampires.


	16. Chapter 16

Surprisingly, there wasn’t one. The head vampire laughed as Tet suddenly appeared beside him. The shifter shot her an apologetic smile. “Daiki safe?”

She nodded slowly, eyes narrowing.

“Good.” He gave a small chuckle. “You’re not the only one who can learn spells, darlin’. Now go home.”

Andy growled, “You’re going to have to kill me before I let them have you without a fight.”

Tet’s shoulders slumped. “I’m protecting all of you. Why can’t you understand? We can’t afford a fight right now. Do you want everyone slaughtered?”

“You think this is the best way? Then kill me. If not, I’m going to keep fighting them to keep you free.”

He growled. “Why are you so fucking stubborn? They’re not going to kill me. I’ll come back..”

“You don’t want this, I know you don’t.  _ If _ I do leave, I won’t be there if you do come back.”

Tet froze, his resolve crumbling as he looked at her. Tears began trickling down his face. After a minute, he took a step toward her.

“Enough of this.” The vampire snarled, grabbing Tet and sinking his fangs into his neck as he glared at her.

Tet jerked, then began to slump into his arms as the man drank from him quickly.

Andy quickly turned into her panther form, pouncing on the man and ripping him apart with her claws. She grabbed onto Tet and teleported them back to the infirmary. She glanced at Akasa, “Get him set up on a transfusion.” She checked the seal spell she’d put in place months before making sure the virus wouldn’t affect him.

Akasa raced for the refrigerator as Tet struggled to speak. “Don’t leave..please..” His face was almost white, his eyes glassy. “I’m sorry..just wanted to protect..” 

“I need to go make sure they won’t come back after you,” she said quietly. “I’m just trying to protect you.”

“I..love you. I’m sorry…” His eyes closed as his breathing stopped.

Akasa looked at her, his hands filled with transfusion equipment.

A few tears filled her eyes as she stared at Tet. “Get the transfusion set up.” She focused on him, trying to get his breathing back.

The nurse quickly attached the IV, making sure the blood was flowing well. He watched with a frown as Tet didn’t respond to Andy’s spell. 

Andy tried again, “Come on Tet, come back to me.” 

One shaky breath escaped, then another. They were erratic, long pauses between them. Tears were leaking from his eyes onto the bed sheet.

“Should I put him on a ventilator?” Akasa asked quietly.

“Yeah, probably should.” She sighed as she started pacing while trying to think.

Akasa got everything set up, the ventilator whooshing as it pumped air into the shifter’s lungs. Then he moved to Daiki’s side, checking his pulse.

The vampire was paler than usual, multiple fang marks on both sides of his neck. He was barely breathing, his chest jerkily moving up and down.

The nurse sighed as he examined him, then muttered one of the spells she’d taught him and headed for the fridge again.

Andy finally moved to Ryon, “If I’m not back in an hour, come find me.”

He looked at her in alarm. “You’re not really going back are you?”

“I just need to do something, okay?” She gave him a small smile before teleporting away. 

Kiba woke, his eyes blurring with tears as he saw Tet’s condition. Noticing he was alone, he rose and slipped out of the base. Shifting, he ran for the forest.

Andy appeared at the Conclave location, shifting into her panther form and preparing to fight. She growled at the vampires and started pouncing on them and ripping them apart with her claws and her teeth. She got through a large chunk of them before multiple vampires bit into her, bite marks littering her fur. She tried to shift into a snake and slither away from the group but one of them caught her and slammed her into a wall. As she fell she reverted back to her human form, blood seeping from the bites. She weakly pushed herself up and tried to fight before she got kicked in the head, knocking her unconscious. 

Akasa cursed as he returned to find Tet’s alarm wailing. He glanced around the room, noticing Kiba was gone. He shook his head in frustration before trying to keep Tet alive.

Andy weakly opened her eyes, bright light surrounding her. She sighed and looked around, wondering what was happening. If she was dying, wouldn’t her parents be there again? She started walking forward, unsure where she was going.

A forest materialized around her, a familiar form sitting by a tree. He was huddled, his knees up to his chest as he shook with sobs.

She knelt beside him, putting a hand gently on his shoulder, “Hey, it’s alright. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I screwed everything up. She’s had enough and is going to leave forever. I can’t live without her.. Why couldn’t I die before she hated me?” Tet was ice cold but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Tet, look at me,” she grabbed his chin and gently moved his face so he was looking at her. “I love you. I’m not leaving you, okay?”

“That’s not what you said.. Just stop pretending. You finally got sick of me. The worst thing, I was almost prepared for it..” He dropped his eyes as his breathing became erratic, his gasps an awful noise to her ears.

“Tet, I only said that so you’d come back to me! If you really gave yourself up to them, I’m not sure what I’d do. I just wanted you back safe with me,” Tears rolled down her face as she moved to a sitting position. “Everything I do is to protect you..”

He laid his head in her lap, his eyes distant. “I’m sorry.. I’m so tired.” His eyes began to close as his breathing slowed. “You won’t leave? I’ll see you again right?”

“I’m not leaving you.” She tried to remember how she got into this situation in the first place and let out a sigh, “I hope you’ll see me again. Just remember, no matter what, that I love you.” 

“Maybe another life..” He looked up at her. “One last kiss? So I remember you when we meet again?”

“Tet, I’ll kiss you when we’re both awake and safe. I need you to stay with me, you need to stay.”

A tear escaped his eye as he struggled to stay awake. “I don’t think I can, darlin.”

The light reappeared, glowing brightly as it approached them.

Andy focused and tried to push some of her energy into him. “Please..”

Arms suddenly encircled her, pulling her away from Tet. She screamed as the light enveloped him and the forest disappeared.

Her eyes flew open to reveal an exhausted Akasa above her.

“Thank god that worked.” The nurse leaned on the bed as Ryon watched in desperation.

“Tet..?” she said weakly.

Akasa closed his eyes and shook his head. “I tried everything.. He’s gone.”

Andy pushed herself up and stumbled to his side. She leaned on the bed as she shook, tears filling her eyes. She focused on trying to revive him, the gold light surrounding him. She waited and nothing happened, the light fading away. She let out a sob as she tried again, focusing on him. Once more the light did nothing. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, trying to think of anything that could bring him back to her. She finally gave him the kiss he’d been wanting, gently pressing her lips against his. “Please, Tet, come back to me.”

The gold light suddenly surrounded them both. A minute later, Tet was kissing her back, his hands tangled in her hair as he deepened it. He broke away, murmuring her name as he breathed. “Andy..I love you so much..”

She gave him a wide smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I love you too.”

He returned the smile, then glanced at Akasa. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Trying to keep you alive unsuccessfully, trying everything I could find to save her and searching for your wolf is exhausting.” He sat down in a chair and blinked slowly.

“Is he not in the bunker..?” 

Ryon shook his head. “He’s vanished. Not sure how long he’s been gone. Akasa found him missing when Tet went into arrest.”

Andy took a deep breath, feeling the exhaustion from everything that had happened. She pushed it away though, “I’ll find him.” She looked down and noticed the remains of healed bite marks on her arms. She shook her head before kissing Tet again and then heading out of the infirmary. 

She headed into the forest, transforming into a snake and slithering around in search. 

Suddenly, the forest opened into a clearing with a cliff at the end of it. Kiba stood stiffly on the edge.

She stayed a way back to not scare him as she reverted back into her human form, “Kiba..?”

“I hurt him didn’t I?” The question was anguished. He trembled, clenching his fists at his sides.

“Who? Tet? No, he got bit by a vampire at the Conclave.”

The wolf slowly turned, his expression confused. “How did he end up at Conclave?”

“Apparently he’s memorized the teleportation spell,” she sighed. “They wanted him or they’d kill Daiki. After I saved Daiki, Tet found his way there and gave himself up. Of course I wouldn’t let him do that, but he got bit in the process.” She sighed, “If you need proof we were there, look at all these bite marks,” she motioned to her skin.

He made a horrified whimper as he got a good look at her. “How are you alive?”

“I’m not really sure, Akasa saved me.”

He sighed. “I’m an idiot, huh?” He looked down at the ground.

“No, you’re not. You’ve just been a bit screwed up like the rest of us,” Andy gave a smile.

He chuckled, then shrugged. Unfortunately, the movement caused the cliff edge to crumble under his feet. He let out a shout as he fell.

Andy quickly shifted into a hawk, diving off the cliff and trying to grab onto him with her talons. She struggled to get a good grip on him so she flew under him and tried to catch him on her back. She slowed his fall down greatly but they both tumbled to the ground, rolling down a slight hill at the bottom. She tried to stand, swaying as the world continued to spin. 

“Shit..sorry..” Kiba’s voice was strained. He coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. He tried to move, letting out a strangled cry as his legs didn’t. The blood flow increased, dripping off his chin onto his shirt.

Andy struggled to catch her breath, her chest hurting as she tried. She transformed into her snake form, finding it easier to slither than to try to walk. She wrapped herself around his arm before saying the teleportation spell. They appeared on the floor of the infirmary.

Tsukasa yelled for Jack and Akasa. He knelt beside her. “What the hell, Andy?!”

She untwirled herself before reverting back to human form. She let out a few coughs as she continued to struggle to breathe, “Fell off..cliff..”

Tsukasa face palmed as the two ran in. 

Jack tended to Kiba as Akasa frowned at Andy. “I want a raise.” He began muttering spells.

When she could breathe better she looked over at Tsukasa, “He fell, so I flew off to try to catch him. I don’t have that much experience flying yet, let alone while trying to catch someone..”

Jack scowled. “Don’t cover for him..” He paused in his exam, his lips tight. “Akasa, I’m going to need help when you’re available.”

The vampire’s jaw twitched. “He might just get what he wanted..”

Andy growled, “What do you mean by covering for him? The edge of the cliff broke.”

“I mean we all know his state of mind lately.. You wouldn’t want us angry at him. So you might give another explanation..” Jack’s eyes glittered as he looked down at the unconscious shifter.

“Yeah he was upset when I went out there and he might have been originally thinking it, but we were just talking and I swear the cliff broke.” Andy said with a sigh, pushing herself up to move to look at Kiba. 

Jack exhaled softly. “His back’s broken. One of his ribs put a big hole in his lung. I’ve done what I can.”

Andy closed her eyes before she started muttering healing spells. She tried a few different ones to try to fix all the damage. 

Kiba’s breathing improved, his color returning.

Tsukasa’s cell rang and he moved into the hall to answer it.

“I didn’t mean..” Kiba whispered slowly.

“I know, don’t worry,” Andy said softly before she kissed his forehead. 

His face betrayed panic as he tried to move. “Andy? My legs..”

“I know, you broke your back.. I’m going to try to find a spell to help, okay? Try not to worry.”

He shook his head. “Kill me. Pack law.. Alpha takes out wounded members if there’s no hope.”

Tet exploded. “You fucking idiot! Let her help you, you damned furball!”

Andy looked at Kiba sadly, “I’m not going to kill you. Just give me a bit of time and I’m sure I’ll find a spell to help.” 

The wolf closed his eyes briefly, tears falling silently. Then he tried to slide off the bed, eyes focused on a tray of surgery tools nearby.

Andy held him down before muttering a sleeping spell. She lightly kissed his lips, “Just sleep. Let us worry about everything.”

His eyes were dejected as they closed.

“DAMMIT!” Tet hit the wall with a fist.

Andy looked over at him, “What?”

“Why the hell was he there in the first place?”

Andy sighed, “He was just being stupid. I think I helped him with our talk though. If the stupid cliff didn’t give out though this wouldn’t be a problem.”

Tet frowned as Tsukasa came in, smoke billowing around him. “Are you good to go?”

“What’s going on now?”

“We’ve been volunteered to help a coup. Tet, Ryon will port you as soon as you pick your team.”

The dragon turned to Andy. “And before you ask, no. You’re staying here. You aren’t fully recovered from your accident, not to mention everything else.”

Andy sighed before looking at Tet, “Are you sure you’re up for going? You  _ did  _ just die a little bit ago..”

He gave her a smile. “I’m fine. Behave yourself while I’m gone.” He climbed off the bed, pausing to kiss her hard before he left.

She laid down to rest for a few minutes but ended up completely passing out after everything that had happened.

The next morning, voices woke her.

“I found something that  _ may _ help, but it’s a complicated spell. I’d rather wait until she was awake.” Akasa’s voice was soft.

“Understood. I’m waiting for word from Tet’s group. Don’t breathe a word of this to her, but it’s not going well by all reports. There have been unverified reports that the dictator had more firepower than we thought and there were heavy casualties. Also one report of foreigners being captured.” 

Tsukasa sighed heavily. “We may have just lost them.”

Andy tried to stay calm, pain racing through her which she tried to ignore as she tried to stretch out. 

Tsukasa sent a look toward her, then scowled. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”

“Your talking woke me,” she admitted as she tried to sit up.

“Fuck.. are you going to yell at me?”

She shook her head before looking at Akasa, “First off, pain meds? Secondly, what’s the spell you found?”

Tsukasa looked relieved as Akasa gave her a pill and muttered a spell. The nurse opened the book of shadows to a spell she hadn’t seen yet.

“Says it’s for nerve injuries, but I’m not confident I can do it right. But something has to happen soon, he got violent after your spell wore off. I had to restrain him and sedate him heavily.”

Andy nodded as she read over the spell. She pushed herself up slowly before moving to Kiba’s side. She closed her eyes and focused for a moment before reopening them and reciting the spell. A yellow light soon surrounded him. 

When it disappeared, Akasa scanned the wolf. He gave her a smile as he met her eyes. “No sign of injury.”

She smiled, watching Kiba for a minute. She hoped he’d be in a better mood when he found out he was better. 

A small whirlwind whipped around her as Ryon teleported in. He was supporting Leo, Jade scowling beside him. The teleporter was shaky, blood streaming from a head injury.

Akasa took Leo’s arm as Ryon fell to his knees.

Andy went to Ryon and helped him into a bed, “What happened?” She looked him over before starting to clean the injury.

“Tried to get to Kenji. He’s going to be shot at dawn tomorrow.”

“Where’s everyone else?”

“It was just us and Tet.. we got separated during the fighting.” He gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get them out of there.” She finished healing him up. She stepped away from him and focused on Kenji before saying the teleportation spell to get to him. She spotted him chained up, and grabbed tightly, teleporting him out of the chains and back into the infirmary. She set him up in a bed before focusing on Tet and teleporting to him.

He jumped as she appeared, then scowled. “You don’t learn do you?” His face was ashen, blood covering one side of his fatigues. She could see the tremors running through him as he scanned the horizon. “Have to rescue Kenji..”

“I already did.”

He gave her a slow smile, his eyes struggling to focus. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She suddenly noticed the blood matting his hair.

“Let’s get you back home, okay?” She said softly before taking his arm and teleporting him to the infirmary. 

He blinked once, then buckled.

She caught him and moved him into a bed, checking him over and starting to say spells for the injuries. She gently cleaned the blood off of him, making sure the wounds were clean.

Kiba tottered toward them slowly. “What the hell did he do now?”

“They were sent on a mission. How are you feeling?”

“Like an idiot. Should have known you wouldn’t give up on me.”

“I wouldn’t give up on any of the team, but especially not you and Tet. You should know that by now.”

He grinned softly as Tet groaned. “Owww.”

Andy gave a small smile, “Hey, it’s alright. I can give you a spell for the pain if you want one?”

“Please. Otherwise, I might give myself a concussion knocking myself out.” He opened one eye to look at Kiba. “Thank god you’re okay.”

Kiba gave his arm a squeeze. “You too.”

Andy recited a spell to ease his pain before she moved to sit in the chair beside him. She rolled her neck around, feeling the ache of it still not fully healed. She straightened back up before watching Tet.

“How are you doing?” His eyes were concerned.

“Still healing from the accident, and knowing that almost dying from the vamps and diving off a cliff didn’t help.” She gave a small smile, “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

A cell phone rang and Ryon smiled sheepishly before answering it. A few minutes later, he burst into hysterical laughter, almost falling off the bed. An unintelligible shout echoed from the phone, then the porter took a deep breath. “Give me a few minutes, okay?” He waited for a minute, then hung up and wiped his eyes.

Andy raised her eyebrow, “What’s up?”

“Ryusei got arrested buying alcohol. The cops think his ID is fake.”

Tet and Kiba began laughing.

Kenji shook his head. “Maybe you should have Andy find a spell so he looks older. This is like, what, the fifth time? He’s twenty six for fuck’s sake.”

Andy chuckled, “This has happened before?”

Tet fought for breath. “Oh yeah. One time, we were out of country, so he spent the weekend in jail. He was pissed.”

“I mean, he looks young but it’s not  _ that  _ bad..” she laughed.

“Maybe the spell should be for the cop’s eyesight?” Kiba snickered.

Ryon tried to compose himself. “I have to go bail him out. Want to come with?”

Andy nodded, “Alright.”

He got up, crossing to her and waited.

Andy stood up and took a deep breath before smiling at him, “Ready when you are.”

He took her arm and focused, appearing in a police station. He released her as his eyes landed on a very pissed off Ryusei handcuffed to a chair. He tried not to smile as the porter glared at him. “Calm him down, will you? I’ll pay his bail.” He moved toward the desk.

Andy moved to Ryusei and chuckled, “How’s it going?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? I’m handcuffed in a police station and you use that for an opener?” He chuckled humorlessly. “Actually, can you get me out of these?”

Andy took a moment to look at the cuffs before saying a spell to unlock them.

Ryusei gave her a thankful smile, massaging the chafed wrists. “The cop who arrested me wasn’t friendly. He put them on really tight.”

Ryon came over and lifted him to standing. “Why were you in a liquor store anyway?”

Ryusei sighed. “Thought it would relax everyone. It’s been so hectic and depressing lately.”

“We can go pick some up now if you want. Maybe have a little party?” Andy suggested.

“You buy it. I’m traumatized right now.” Ryusei pulled out his ID and showed it to her. “How does this look fake?”

She shrugged, “Who knows. Maybe the liquor store workers were drinking?”

The men chuckled, then Ryon looked at them. “So, drinks and home?”

Andy smiled, “Yeah, let’s go. How far is the liquor store from here?”

“A few blocks.” Ryusei answered.

Andy headed outside and took a deep breath, enjoying the sunshine. “It has been pretty hectic hasn’t it?”

Ryon ran a hand through his hair. “Almost non stop fighting.. But we’re kinda used to it.”

Ryusei remained quiet, looking pensive.

“We need a day off base, maybe a picnic or something? Go to a park?” Andy thought aloud.

“Sounds good. If the world cooperates, that is.” He pointed to the liquor sign. “This it?”

Ryusei scowled. “Yeah.”

“I’ll go in and get the stuff, you guys just wait, okay?” Andy smiled before heading in. She grabbed a bunch of different bottles before placing them on the counter and paying. She headed back out and handed some over, “Let’s party.”

Ryon grinned as Ryusei gave a thumbs up. They focused and appeared in the infirmary.

Tet laughed as he saw them. “Decided to get the alcohol anyway huh?”

“We’re partying today. Then if we have a free day tomorrow we’re going on a picnic. Unless we want to combine them?”

“Let’s keep them separate. We’re probably going to get too drunk to eat.” Tet reached for a bottle, opening it and drinking deeply. “Nice choices by the way.”

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow as he entered, but didn’t say anything. He helped Ryon set up the bar, then poured himself a shot and downed it. After a few seconds, he sighed happily.

Andy made herself a drink and started sipping on it before heading back over to Tet. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” He kissed her, then looked down. “Are you happy with me? I feel like I’m constantly breaking your heart.”

“Of course I’m happy with you,” she smiled softly. “Of course I do also get upset when you give yourself up instead of fighting, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy. I love you, okay?” She kissed his cheek.

He gave a small smile, then took a drink from his bottle as Kiba entered.

“You guys are holding out on us? Where’s our invitations?”

Andy chuckled, “There’s plenty for everyone.”

Kiba grinned as he turned toward the door. He leaned out and flashed a thumbs up, then headed for the bar as the rest of the guys came in.

Soon everyone had their drinks and were cheering as Kiba and Jack arm wrestled.

Andy smiled as she watched, glad the group could have some fun after everything happening lately. She finished her drink before getting a new one, giving a small giggle as she sat back down.

There was a cheer as Jack won the contest, Kiba growling jokingly.

Tet waved Ryusei over, his eyes twinkling. “He looks all of twelve, doesn’t he?”

Ryusei stuck his tongue out.

Andy chuckled softly, “Maybe 16 if we’re generous.” 

Ryusei looked at her in shock. “You too? I thought you were on my side?” He sulked before laughing. “When Boss first saw me, he told the General he wasn’t running a daycare. Mind you, I was fourteen at the time.”

Tet began laughing. “Kiba asked if he needed to buy diapers.”

Andy giggled as she listened, finishing her second drink. 

“Remember how I got him back?” Ryusei took a drink as Tet laughed so hard he fell off the bed.

Andy lost herself in laughter as she watched him fall. Eventually when she got enough air in she choked out, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I forgot I was so high up.” Tet reseated himself before starting to laugh again. “One of our first bases was overlooking a lake. The night Kiba made the crack, Ryusei here got a bucket of water and poured it on wolfie while he was sleeping. In the morning, he woke to find a package of diapers on his table with a note that he seemed to need them for his “accidents.””

Andy chuckled, “Sounds like you guys have had a lot of fun times.” She stood and swayed a little before going to get another drink. She sat back down before starting to drink it.

Ryusei smirked over his cup. “That started the prank war that has lasted off and on for years. He once spiked my food with wasabi. I mean  _ everything  _ had that damned thing in it. And he made sure that there was no water bottles.”

Andy laughed, “Have you guys pranked everyone on the team?”

They exchanged smiles. “Yup.”

Tet took a drink, then smirked. “We once put hair remover in the shampoo. We got in so much trouble because Boss had a meeting the next morning..”

Ryusei chuckled. “Remember the itching powder?”

“The twins deserved it.” Tet grinned. “If you side with the wrong person..”

“You guys better not prank me, or you’ll be in trouble,” Andy smirked. “But pranking does seem fun. I want to see someone put hair dye in the shampoo. It might not show up on everyone but it’d definitely show on Tsukasa.”

Ryusei’s eyes glittered as he took another drink.

Tet groaned. “I think you started something, darlin’.”

Andy giggled, “Make it pink.”

“Your wish, my command.” Ryusei vanished. A few minutes later, he reappeared with a small bag.

Andy smirked before taking another drink. 

Tet face palmed as the porter removed a bottle of fluorescent pink hair dye with a grin.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Andy finished her drink up. She went to stand and started laughing when she almost fell over.

“Think you’ve had enough.” Tet chuckled. “You need to be sober so you can heal idiot here when Boss gets ahold of him.”

Ryusei rolled his eyes, then vanished.

Andy smiled, “I’ll be sober by then, don’t worry.” She headed to the bar and poured herself another drink. 

Tet chuckled, lifting the bottle as he glimpsed Ryon and Yamae trying to play darts. They were both drunk, the darts going everywhere but the board.

Andy approached Kiba, “Having fun?”

He grinned drunkenly. “Oh yeah. Haven’t done this in awhile. Was a good idea.” He leaned over and kissed her. “You’re an angel, you know that?”

Andy blushed as she giggled, “Not sure about that, but thanks.”

“Most people would have quit. We’ve actually gone through five doctors. They all said we were reckless and insane.”

“Well, I’m probably reckless and insane with you guys.. I mean, charging into the vampire Conclave by myself, not the smartest idea I’ve ever had.”

He snickered. “You don’t say?” He tried not to laugh at her look. “Want to hear something? You ever seen Boss lose his shit for real?”

She shook her head, “I don’t think so. Why?”

“You’d understand why we never work with other teams. Boss actually ended up in the brig once.”

“Wow,” Andy said in surprise before taking another sip of her drink.

“He fried three members of another team over me. He also fried a shrink over Tet.” Kiba drained his cup.

“Kind of wish I could have seen that.”

“No, you don’t. He was so pissed, it was frightening. I had just found out we were brothers and had decided to make his life miserable. Started a fight with the other team. They carried silver daggers. Think I don’t have to tell you the rest.”

Andy nodded slowly as she finished her drink. She leaned against the wall as exhaustion washed over her. 

“You okay?” Kiba looked at her.

“I’ll be fine,” she gave a small smile. 

“To tell the truth, the only reason Boss fried the shrink was he got to him first. The whole team was going to kill him painfully after his report.” Kiba grabbed a bottle and took a drink.

Andy sighed, “He must have deserved it then.” She pushed herself off the wall, swaying for a moment.

“Recommended Tet be lobotomized and institutionalized until “nature takes its course” quote unquote.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Dumbass.”

Kiba laughed. “Yup. Frankly he got off easy cause you would have really hurt him.”

Andy chuckled, “Oh yeah.” She glanced over at Tet, smiling at him.

He waved sleepily at her.

The party had become quiet as several squad members had fallen asleep on the beds and others had wandered out of the infirmary.

Andy yawned, “Probably should get some sleep if I have to prepare a picnic tomorrow.”

Kiba snickered, kissing her cheek as he weaved out the door.

Tsukasa raised his glass and toasted her. He looked relaxed for once.

She smiled at him before heading over to the bed next to Tet. She climbed in and looked over at him, “This was nice.”

“Yeah..” He was half asleep, the bottle hanging loosely in one hand.

Andy reached over and grabbed it, setting it on the table before speaking again, “Good night.” She smiled as she watched him for another moment then she drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, she woke feeling her head hurting and she wondered if it was still her injuries or a hangover. 

Suddenly there was a shout from the bathroom. “RYUSEI!!”

Andy snickered before opening her eyes and pushing herself up. She glanced over at Tet to check on him.

He cracked one eye open. “I don’t care if he’s Boss. If he yells again, I’m strangling him. Then I’m going to strangle our prankster.”

“It  _ was  _ my idea though,” Andy chuckled softly. She kissed his cheek before heading out to her room to change. She then headed for the kitchen and started making breakfast and picnic food.

Tsukasa stalked in and looked around. “Where is he?”

Andy fought a laugh, “I haven’t seen him today.”

“A likely story. Have a feeling you gave him the idea.” He growled at her before grabbing a plate.

She chuckled softly, “The color does look good on you.”

He groaned. “At least I don’t have any meetings.”

Kiba shuffled in, took one look at Tsukasa and began laughing. “Let me guess, our prankster struck again?”

Andy started giggling to herself, unable to hide the laughter.

“Get it out of your system.” Tsukasa rolled his eyes and began to eat.

Kiba leaned on the wall, wiping his eyes. Then he reached for the coffee.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Andy asked as she put together little sandwiches.

“Better than most, I’m only half hung over. Ryon and Yamae look like hell, Tet threatened to murder me and almost everyone else is still passed out. By the way, Ryusei is hiding in the bunker.”

Andy chuckled, “I’ll have to take him some breakfast.” She finished up the sandwiches and packed them into a basket which she stuck in the fridge. “Hopefully everyone is up by lunchtime to go eat. I found the perfect park to go to.”

“Believe me, alcohol doesn’t keep this bunch down for long.” Tsukasa put his plate in the sink. “Tell Ryusei it’s safe. I’m not going to fry him.”

She smiled in response before heading out to the bunker. She yelled down, not wanting to climb the stairs, “It’s safe. And I made breakfast.”

Ryusei poked his head out. “He’s not pissed?” He climbed up slowly.

“Well, he said he’s not going to fry you,” Andy answered.

The porter exhaled in relief. “Guess he’s mellowing in his old age.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

Ryusei chuckled, heading for the kitchen. He loaded a plate as she followed.

She started making some salads to take with on the picnic before she finally sat down and ate something.

Tet yawned as he entered, then kissed her cheek. “Morning.” He tousled Ryusei’s hair. “Was prepared to use the fire extinguisher on you. What did you do, beg for mercy?”

Andy chuckled, “Tsukasa was actually pretty good about it.”

“He must be getting old.” Tet gulped some coffee, then began to eat.

Slowly the squad trickled in for breakfast. Everyone was quiet, nursing cups of coffee.

Tet looked around with a frown. “Anyone see beanie boy and red?”

“I think Kiba mentioned them earlier..” Andy looked thoughtful.

“They were pretty hammered last night.” Ryusei finished his food.

“Someone might want to check on them just in case.”

“I’ll do it.” The porter stood and put his plate in the sink, then headed out the door. A few minutes later he was back, his eyes worried. “Andy? Can you die from too much alcohol?”

Andy took a deep breath, “Technically, yes.. Why..?”

“I think you need to come  _ now _ .”

She followed him out to where Ryon and Yamae were.

They were pale, their chests barely moving.

Andy checked them over before looking at Ryusei, “Help me get them to the infirmary.” 

He nodded, grabbing both of them and disappearing.

After getting to the infirmary she took blood samples, testing their blood alcohol level first. She frowned when she noticed it wasn’t too high. She continued to do tests until she finally found a poison in their system. She quickly formulated an antidote and injected it into their arms. She frowned as she glanced at Ryusei, “You got arrested, they got poisoned.. You’d think the liquor store was after us..”

“Poisoned? What do you mean poisoned?” Ryusei stared at his friends in alarm.

“I mean, they were poisoned. Not alcohol poisoning, regular poisoning.” 

“They only drink one type of alcohol.. Are we in danger?”

Andy sighed, “Unless anyone else starts showing signs, I think we’re fine. It must have just been that one bottle.”

Ryusei’s face darkened. “I’ve got some questions for that store.”

“Calm down. If it is someone targeting us, you don’t know what you’re walking into.”

“I was the one who suggested the party.. This is my fault.” He scowled at the floor.

“This is  _ not _ your fault. If it was the alcohol that was poisoned, it’s the store workers fault, okay?”

Tet entered slowly, a half empty bottle in his hand. “This is what they were drinking. Are they alright?” 

Andy took the bottle and started testing it. “They should be now that I’ve given them something.” She finished up, “Yeah, it was definitely the alcohol that was poisoned.”

Tet’s eyes widened. “What is going on?”

“That store almost killed them.” Ryusei snarled before vanishing.

Andy sighed, “I told him not to go off on his own.. Though I’m not a good example am I?”

Tet took a deep breath. “Focus.  _ Why  _ did he decide to go Lone Ranger on us?”

“Because the store poisoned the alcohol..?”

Tet growled. “You mean this wasn’t because they got completely wasted? Someone tried to kill them?”

“Right,” Andy nodded.

“Fucking hell. Should we go save him?”

Andy sighed, “Yeah probably.” She grabbed his arm before teleporting them outside the liquor store.

Tet entered, his eyes narrowing as the counter was empty. He continued into the back, then a gun fired.

Andy rushed to see what happened, entering cautiously.

Tet was holstering his gun, a man lying dead nearby. He knelt beside Ryusei, his head bowing as he touched him. He grabbed a discarded syringe and showed it to her. “We were too late..”

Andy looked at Ryusei sadly before lifting him up into her arms. She teleported them back to the infirmary and set him on a bed before doing a blood test. She made an antidote to counter the injection then focused on trying to revive him. The gold light shone around him as she worked.

He sucked in a slow breath, then coughed. His eyes fluttered open and focused on her. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright, as long as you’re okay now. But that’s why I told you to not go alone.”

“He laughed when I asked him about the bottle. He wanted to know if it had been painful..”

Andy growled, “Asshole.”

“I saw red. I dragged him into the back, but he stabbed me with a syringe. I thought I was burning to death..”

Tet growled. “He tried to get me too but I shot him.”

Andy sighed, “At least they’ll be okay now and we took the guy out.”

Ryusei looked at her. “I wanted to go on a picnic too…”

“We’ll wait until the twins wake up and then we can still go on one, okay?” She gave him a small smile.

“Really?” He brightened.

“Yeah, we’ll just push it back a couple hours if we have to. I  _ did  _ make a lot of food to take with, it would be a shame to waste it.”

Tsukasa frowned as he walked in. “Something happen I should know?”

“There was an incident.. We took care of it though.”

He nodded. “Everyone’s up and at least half sober.”

“I figure we can head out once the twins wake,” Andy smiled.

As if on cue, both men groaned in unison. Ryon sat up, squinting at the light as Yamae pulled a blanket over his head. “Did we actually finish the bottle again?”

“No, it was poisoned,” Andy answered.

“What the hell?” Ryon and Tsukasa asked at the same time. Yamae’s wide eyes emerged from under the blanket.

“Liquor store worker poisoned it, Ryusei went to see about it and got injected with something, Tet killed the guy and now we’re here.”

Tsukasa whistled. “Busy morning.”

“Yeah, a little,” Andy chuckled.

“Sorry we screwed up your plans.” Ryon sighed apologetically.

“It’s not your fault. And we’re still all going if you’re up for it,” she grinned.

The trio of porters grinned at her as Yamae finally sat up. “Absolutely.”

“Let’s go get everything together then. Most of the food is packed in baskets in the fridge.”

Tet grinned as the three ran for the kitchen, then followed.

Tsukasa pursed his lips. “Any idea why?”

“The poison?” Andy asked. “Not sure exactly but he’s also the guy that got Ryusei arrested so he definitely didn’t like us.”

The dragon grimaced, then gave her a small smile. “Let’s go relax.”

She nodded and headed out toward the kitchen. She made sure the porters had grabbed everything before giving them the address of the park. Once there, she set up the food so they could serve themselves then went and grabbed a blanket and laid out in the sun.

Several of the guys started a football game, others cheering from the sidelines as they ate.

Tet gave her a grin as he ran by with the ball, Kiba in pursuit.

Andy pushed herself up to watch better, happy that the group was having fun. 

He made the touchdown, sticking his tongue out at the wolf.

Kiba scowled, then laughed. “Let’s see you do that again, you oversize rug.”

“Keep watching, furball.” He playfully pushed Kiba.

It then became a wrestling match, the two growling playfully.

Andy chuckled as she watched them before finally getting up and getting herself some food.

Soon, Tet sat down, swiping a sandwich from her plate with a grin.

Andy rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek.

He swallowed quickly and kissed her lips with a contented sigh.

“We should do these picnics more often if we ever get the chance.”

“Definitely.” He chuckled as he watched the porters chase each other. “Glad as hell you were here for them.”

Andy nodded, “We have Akasa now too, maybe I need to teach him about poisons..”

“With our luck..” He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye, then kissed her again.

Andy smiled before deepening the kiss, not wanting it to end.

He lay her down on the blanket, eagerly continuing.

She wrapped her arms around him, grabbing his hair with one hand.

He chuckled, his eyes soft as they looked at her.

“Ick...Get a room.” Kiba yelled out.

Andy laughed, “Care to join us?” She stuck her tongue out.

Tet laughed as Kiba blushed. “Come here furball.”

Kiba slowly approached, looking nervous.

Andy patted the blanket, giving him a smile.

Tet grinned, whispering “She doesn’t bite.. Unless asked.”

Andy rolled her eyes as she chuckled. 

Kiba leaned over, kissing her hard before turning and doing the same to Tet.

Andy gave them a soft smile, “I love you guys.”

“Goes double for us.” Kiba’s voice was low, his eyes dark. “Still can’t believe my luck.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “I thought you two were a little crazy when you showed up at the clinic. Never expected all of this to come out of it.”

Tet closed his eyes with a snort. “I was sure you’d freak when you found out about us, maybe calling the cops to report stalkers.”

Andy gave a contented sigh, “I’m glad I didn’t.”

Kiba started laughing. “I can’t believe I pointed my gun at you.”

Andy lightly smacked his arm, “I forgot about that.”

He gave her a smile, “Sorry? To be fair, there  _ was _ a Hound coming after us.”

She kissed his cheek, “Thanks for saving me.”

“Anytime.” He kissed her again.

“Feeling left out here.” Tet pouted right before Kiba captured his lips. He made a soft noise as the wolf moved away.

Andy smiled before laying back again, closing her eyes as the sun hit her face.

“We should continue this later..” Kiba sighed.

Andy blinked an eye open to look at him, “Why?”

“You a closet exhibitionist? Trying to give everyone a show?” Tet chuckled.

Andy closed her eye and chuckled, “I meant we could just port home if we wanted to continue, but putting on a show could be fun.”

Both men swallowed hard.

“I didn’t want to interrupt the picnic..” Tet said softly.


	17. Chapter 17

Warning: this chapter has lots of sex. Skip ahead to the next chapter if you don’t want to read it.

  
  


Andy continued to enjoy the warmth of the sun, “Either way it’s up to you guys. I’m fine going back or staying.”

Kiba nipped her ear. “Then home please.. My body wants to do things to you two that are quite indecent for the public..”

Andy smirked before grabbing onto them, saying the teleportation spell. They reappeared on her bed.

Kiba gave a soft growl, tangling his hands in her hair as he kissed her hard.

Andy ran a hand over his chest as she kissed him back. 

Tet kissed the back of her neck softly, his hands around her waist.

She let out a small purr at the sensation.

He chuckled, repeating the action.

She squeezed his thigh with one hand while her other was holding onto Kiba.

He gave a soft gasp, then he was kissing her lips like he was inhaling her very soul.

She kissed back as her hand trailed up his thigh. She slid her other hand up Kiba’s shirt.

His breath stuttered, then the shirt was gone somewhere on the floor. He slowly trailed a hand down her chest, giving her a hungry look.

Andy reached over and unbuttoned his pants before doing the same to Tet. She pushed Tet back into a laying position before trailing kisses down his body.

Kiba wrapped his fingers in Tet’s hair, kissing him roughly.

The tiger moaned, his eyes closing.

Andy slid down, pulling Tet’s pants off before kissing his thigh.

He gave another moan as Kiba started kissing his scars.

Andy took Kiba’s pants off as well before stripping her shirt off. The floor was now littered with articles of clothing. She then moved and started kissing Kiba’s chest.

He made an excited noise, his hands reaching for her bra clasp.

Tet beat him to it, the bra disappearing over his shoulder.

Kiba nipped his hands playfully.

Andy ran her hand over Tets boxers, before pulling him in for a kiss.

He ran his hands over her chest as he pressed against her. His breathing was fast, his pupils large.

She moaned at the touch before slipping her hand into his boxers and grasping onto him gently before starting to move her hand.

He inhaled sharply, then let out a soft “Darlin..”

Kiba claimed his lips as Tet sank onto the mattress.

Andy continued to move her hand as she slipped her other hand into Kiba’s boxers and did the same.

Kiba released Tet’s lips as he gave a sharp moan, his eyes rolling up in pleasure.

Andy gave a small smirk before sliding Tet’s boxers down and placing her mouth around him.

He yelped in surprise, stiffening before moaning her name.

Andy smiled around him as she started to bob her head. Her other hand continued to move around Kiba.

The wolf began to tremble, his breathing rapid. Their names were whispered in a rough voice.

After a few minutes, Andy moved away from Tet, sliding Kiba’s boxers down and starting to go down on him. One of her hands rubbed Tet’s chest.

Kiba struggled for control, finally crying out as he released.

Andy sucked him down before moving to kiss him gently. 

His pupils were wide as he trembled under her. 

She moved back to Tet and went back to working on him. She rubbed his thighs as she bobbed her mouth around him.

Tet made a wordless sound, his hips twitching.

Kiba kissed him as he began to tremble, the moan cut off. He bucked against her as he came.

Andy smiled after she drank him down. She leaned back and smiled at the two of them.

Tet looked at her in wonder. “Gods, you’re amazing..”

Kiba moved toward her, the hungry look returning as he began to run kisses down her chest. “I need you.”

She moaned in response, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the sensation.

He grinned, one hand cupping a breast as his other slid inside her panties.

He could tell she was already wet as she bucked her hips against him. 

He slowly put a finger in, then moved it slowly in a circle. His mouth closed on her breast, sucking lightly.

Andy trembled with pleasure and continued to move her hips.

He began to move his finger faster, his eyes watching her.

Her eyes were closed as she focused on the feeling and she couldn’t help but let out a purr.

He chuckled, then added another finger, keeping the rhythm.

She pulled him in, kissing him hard. 

He returned it eagerly, then pulled away and added a third finger. He quickened the motion, his eyes glittering.

She let out a loud moan as she trembled. Her breathing was fast as she felt herself grow closer. Finally she grabbed onto him tightly as she came, her juices flowing around his fingers.

He grinned at her, his voice husky as he spoke. “Are you satisfied yet?”

She smirked as she ran a hand down his chest, “I want more of you.”

“Good answer.” His eyes blazed with desire.

“Can I join you?” Tet’s voice was low as he watched them.

Andy moved to kiss him, “Of course.”

He kissed her hungrily, then reached a hand into the dresser drawer and removed a bottle of lube.

He prepared himself as Kiba removed the rest of her clothing.

Kiba lay down, moving her to straddle his hips as Tet positioned himself behind her. They shared a look, then thrust inside her simultaneously.

Andy gasped at the feeling then took a moment to adjust. She gripped Kiba’s shoulders tightly as she bucked her hips.

Both men moaned, then began to move in unison. Kiba’s thumb twirled around her clitoris teasingly.

She gasped again, trembling as she was stimulated.

Tet murmured her name as he thrust deeply into her, matching Kiba’s rhythm.

The wolf began to speed up, his thumb now flicking in time to his thrusts.

“I’m going to cum,” Andy muttered out before moaning, her holes squeezing tightly around the two men.

Both of them gave final thrusts, simultaneous cries being uttered as they released.

Andy laid on Kiba, still trembling hard from the orgasm.

Tet pulled out, lying limply on the bed as he fought to regain his breath.

Kiba gave a small breathless chuckle.


	18. Chapter 18

“Andy.. they took him..” Daiki staggered into the infirmary, his shirt sodden with blood. He reached out to her with a shaking hand. “They’re going to kill him..”

Andy’s eyes widened as she rushed to his side. “Don’t worry, we’ll get him back.” She assured before getting him into a bed.

He struggled to speak, blood trickling from his lips. “I.. couldn’t stop..” His eyes went dim, his hand slipping out of hers.

She started muttering spells to work on healing him as she cleaned up the blood.

After a few minutes she called Tet to the infirmary.

His eyes widened as he saw Daiki. “What the hell happened to him?”

She shook her head, “Tsukasa got taken.”’ 

His eyes flashed gold as he snarled. “Who?”

“I don’t know, all he said was they’re going to kill him.”

“Over my dead body.” He grabbed the radio. “Code Black. I repeat Code Black. Ryusei, research anyone with a grudge. As soon as we get verification, we get him back or die trying.”

Andy continued working on Daiki as they waited.

Twenty minutes later, Ryusei raced in and handed Tet a printout. “This came in through Boss’ email.”

Tet snarled again, clutching the paper tightly. “Get everyone ready.”

The porter nodded quickly and disappeared.

Tet began to shake as he growled under his breath.

Daiki’s eyes fluttered open. “Andersson took him..”

“Who’s Andersson?” Andy wondered.

“A terrorist Boss chased when he was younger. Thought he’d been killed by Boss ten years ago..” Tet shredded the printout, his breathing rapid. “He killed Boss and Kiba’s parents in an attack. It became a personal vendetta.”

Andy took a deep breath, “We’ll get him back.”

Kiba stalked in, his control barely there. “It’s him, isn’t it?” His eyes flickered dangerously.

Andy sighed, “Just try to stay calm. We’re going to get him back.”

“That bastard has my brother!” He tried to slow his breathing, clenching his fists so tight blood began dripping from cuts as his nails turned into claws.

“I know,” Andy sighed again, “but you shouldn’t let your anger control you. It won’t help the situation.”

“I can’t lose him..” He looked at her in desperation.

Andy approached him and wrapped her arms around him, “I know, we’re going to do everything we can to get him back.”

He leaned into her embrace, shoulders shaking as he cried.

The radio buzzed. “Got a location.” Ryusei’s voice was calm. “Team standing by.”

Tet headed for the door, his body vibrating with rage.

Andy kissed Kiba’s forehead, “Are you okay to go with?”

He took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’ll be okay.” He turned and followed Tet silently.

Andy looked at Daiki, “We’ll get him back. Just try to rest, okay?” She headed out the room to join the group.

Tet and Kiba were talking to Yoshi and Yamae. 

“You two go in and get him. Kiba and I will cover you and hopefully put this fucker six feet under at the same time.”

“What can I do?” Andy asked quietly.

“Are you sure you want to come?” 

She nodded.

“Alright. Stay with Yoshi, Boss probably will need you.” Tet had regained his composure and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

She nodded again, “Alright.”

“Let’s go.” Kiba’s voice was icy.

‘Andy checked to make sure she had her pistol and mentally prepared herself for the mission.

Yamae touched her arm and they disappeared.

The five of them reappeared in a dilapidated warehouse. Tet tapped her as he spied a bound Tsukasa on a far wall. There was no one else in sight.

Andy moved to Tsukasa’s side and worked on untying him.

One eye fluttered open, focusing slowly. “Andy?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

He tensed, panicking. “Get out of here! It’s a trap. He planted charges..”

“Alright, let’s get out of here, then.” She looked over at the others, “He said there’s charges. Get back to base.”

“I’m not leaving until he’s dead.” Kiba’s jaw twitched angrily. “Get my brother out of here.” He motioned Yoshi and Yamae to her side.

Andy growled but looked at Yamae, “Get him to the infirmary. I’ll stick with stubborn here.”

He saluted and they disappeared.

Tet and Kiba rolled their eyes and began looking for the charges.

Andy helped them, starting to look around. 

Tet found them, quickly turning and pushing Kiba toward Andy.

There was a rumble, then he fell through the floor as it gave way.

Andy rushed to look down to try to check on him.

He lay motionless, sprawled on what was formerly the floor. 

Andy looked at Kiba, “Wait here a moment.” She moved down to Tet and teleported him out to the infirmary before reappearing in front of Kiba. “Alright, let’s go find him.”

He nodded stonily, carefully moving further into the warehouse. He moved ahead of her into another room.

Five gunshots echoed, then everything went silent.

Andy moved slowly ahead, analyzing the situation.

Kiba lay crumpled in the doorway, blood slowly spreading beneath him.

A blond man laughed uproariously, the smoking gun dangling from one hand. “Not much of a soldier, are you?”

Andy growled, starting to mutter a killing spell.

He looked up, a frown on his face. He dropped the gun, clutching his chest. “W-Who?”

Andy finished the spell as she stared at him. 

His eyes went blank and he collapsed to the floor and lay still.

Andy knelt beside Kiba before teleporting him into the infirmary. She reappeared, checking the building for any more bad guys. She wasn’t sure if the person she killed was the Andersson guy so she wanted to make sure.

The warehouse was empty. 

A rush of air sounded behind her, Yamae reappearing. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Need some help?”

“I was just making sure we got everyone.”

He nodded, then cocked his head as if listening to something. A minute later, she was shoved out of the way as the roof fell in.

As the dust settled, she tried to look for Yamae, finally finding him before looking around for the cause of the fall.

A detonator was lying in the rubble near the porter.

She glanced at it in confusion, wondering who set it off. She quickly got Yamae to the infirmary before going back to investigate.

There was a computer on the desk nearby. A message flashed on screen. “See you again Kadoya”, then a timer began counting down rapidly.

She didn’t know what was going to go off, so she quickly teleported to safety. In the infirmary, she began to help Akasa heal everyone up.

“Andy, I need you!” Akasa was desperately trying to keep Kiba from bleeding out.

She quickly started muttering spells, wounds closing rapidly. She worked on cleaning him up and set up a transfusion before giving Akasa a small smile.

“Are you okay?” Yamae blinked owlishly at her.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for getting me out of the way.”

“You’re welcome. How’s Boss?”

“He’ll be alright.”

“Did we get him?” Tet’s voice was pained.

Andy looked down, “No, I don’t think he was there.”

“He left after bragging that I’d watch my rescuers die.” Tsukasa’s voice was angry.

“I’m sure we’ll find him,” Andy sighed before checking over Tet again, saying more healing spells.

“He’s playing with me, like a cat with a mouse..” The dragon tried to push himself out of bed.

Andy gently pushed him back, “Rest a bit more, we’ll worry about him for now, okay?”

“Don’t let him kill Kiba..” His strength gave out, his eyes closing as he passed out.

Andy looked over at Kiba for a moment, knowing he’d be out for at least a few more hours.

She looked at Tet, “Can’t we just port to his location and take him out?”

“If we knew where he was.. Ryusei is trying to track him now.” Akasa said quietly.

Tet’s eyes were stormy as he watched the brothers sleep. “I’m not going to let that bastard hurt them..”

“Just rest for now, okay?” Andy said softly before going over to Akasa, “If I knew what the guy looked like I could probably port to him.”

Tet spoke again. “There’s a file on Boss’ laptop. Password is 21524. Everything is there..”

Andy nodded and headed out to Tsukasa’s office. After logging in, she searched for the file until she found it and started reading quickly. She memorized the picture attached before closing it and heading out to the group. She grabbed Rei and Ryon before updating them and telling them her plan. She hoped if they could surprise him by porting in, they could quickly take him down.

Rei frowned. “You really think this will work?”

“Well it’s this or wait until he comes for them. I’d rather be on the offensive.”

“That’s true.” Ryon pursed his lips as he surveyed the infirmary. “And unless he is a witch or one of us, he’s probably not going to be prepared.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Andy nodded. “I understand if you guys think it’s too risky to go, but I’m going anyway.”

Both men glared at her, Rei growling. “They hurt Boss and wolfboy. You really think we would beg off?”

Andy gave a small smile, “No.”

Ryon chuckled. “Let’s kick this asshole’s teeth in.”

Rei nodded, looking at Andy. “Ready when you are.”

“Let’s go,” she grabbed their arms and focused on the image of Andersson before teleporting them there. She quickly pulled her pistol out and looked around.

A large desk was in a corner of the room, the chair turned toward the window. She could see dark hair over the top of it, but nothing else.

“I wasn’t expecting you so soon, Kadoya.” A deep voice intoned. “You’ve actually surprised me.”

“Kadoya’s not here,” Andy growled before pointing her pistol at him. She started muttering a kill spell while she waited for him to turn so she could get a better shot.

“Did I actually kill him? I’m disappointed.” He swung the chair to face her, a smile growing as he saw her. “My my, wherever did he find you?”

Ryon rolled his eyes. “Shut up asshole.”

The green eyes settled on the porter, a sneer appearing on the terrorist’s face. “Let me guess, you’re one of those freaks Kadoya manages?” He leaned forward, one hand touching a silver button.

There was a whirring sound, the barest glimpse of metal, then Ryon flew back. He slammed into the back wall and crumpled.

Rei snarled, then he was flying back as well.

Andy finished the kill spell before she fired her gun at the man.

His eyes were dimming as the bullet hit between his eyes. He slammed into the chair and went limp, blood oozing onto the chair.

Andy moved over to Ryon to check on him before doing the same to Rei. 

Both men had daggers embedded. Rei grimaced as he tried to pull it from his shoulder. Ryon hadn’t been so lucky, the handle protruding from his chest.

Andy said a spell for pain before removing the blade from Rei. She quickly said a spell to close up the wound before moving back to Ryon. She removed the blade, reciting a few different healing spells to work on his wound. After a few minutes, she teleported them into the infirmary and got them into beds.

“Did you get him?” Ryon’s eyes were pain filled as he spoke.

“Yeah, he’s dead,” she said a spell to help with his pain.

“Good. I should have kept my mouth shut, huh?”

“That might have helped a bit, yeah,” Andy gave a small chuckle.

Ryon gave her a wry grin before he passed out.

Andy checked everyone in the infirmary over again before sitting down between Tet and Kiba.

Tsukasa blinked his eyes open in confusion. Then everything rushed back to him. He shot up, his eyes rapidly scanning for Kiba.

Andy noticed him and stood, going to his side, “How are you feeling?”

“Sore and pissed. How are they? Has Andersson been found?”

“Everyone will be okay. Andersson has been taken care of.”

He whipped his head towards her. “What are you saying?”

“Rei, Ryon, and I ported to his location. I did a killing spell and shot him.”

“It’s over?” His eyes dropped to the bed. “He’s finally safe..”

Andy gave him a small smile, “Just get some more rest. Everything’s okay.”

Tsukasa brushed his hand over his eyes and nodded. Then he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I can never repay you for this..”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said softly.

He released her with a chuckle, then laid down wearily and closed his eyes.

Andy smiled before going back to her seat.

Twenty minutes later, Tet let out a groan. “Whatever I did, make sure I never do it again.”

Andy let out a small laugh, “I’ll try.”

He opened his eyes, mock glaring at her. “Just try? This coming from a woman who has single handedly kicked my ass more than once?”

She smiled at him before kissing his cheek.

He looked around, frowning when he saw Rei and Ryon. “Something happen while I was out?”

“Just went and took care of business. They’ll be alright.”

“I’m not going to ask. As long as everyone is breathing and you’re unhurt.” He clasped her hand and kissed it.

“I’m fine and everyone is breathing,” she said quietly.


	19. Chapter 19

“Code Red!” Tsukasa hit the alarm button, the sirens began to ring.

Andy looked around quickly, “What’s happening?”

“There’s been an incident and your tiger is in it up to his tail.” His face was grim.

“What’s the situation exactly?”

“He supposedly went on a shooting spree at Headquarters. Word is, three Generals are dead and multiple others are in the hospital.”

Daiki came in with a set of scans. “No more supposedly about it.” He handed the scans to the dragon.

Smoke started billowing as Tsukasa flipped through them. “What the  _ fuck _ is going on?”

Andy frowned, “This has to be some kind of set up.”

Tsukasa shoved the papers toward her. “Security camera photos.”

She looked through them as she shook her head, “He wouldn’t do something like this.”

“At Branch, maybe..” Daiki grimaced.

“The reports are he stole a car and ran afterwards. We have to find him before he gets shot.”

“I’ll figure out what’s going on,” Andy said before leaving the room. She walked down the hall a bit as she tried to figure out what could have happened before she finally stopped and closed her eyes, focusing on Tet and teleporting to his location.

She found herself in a bunker, Tet chained to the floor. He lay unconscious, cuts and bruises adorning him. A shoulder wound was crusted with blood, the skin red and angry.

She knelt beside him, saying some healing spells to help with the wounds. “Tet?” She said softly, unsure if he’d wake. 

His eyelids twitched and he stuttered her name weakly.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” she sighed before holding onto him and teleporting him to her house. She got him into a bed before sitting next to him.

A few hours later, his eyes opened. “Where am I?”

“You’re at my house,” Andy said softly.

His eyes slowly met hers. “I wasn’t dreaming?” His face was feverish, minute tremors shaking his frame.

“No you weren’t dreaming,” she said before reciting a few more spells to help him.

“I’m a dead man..if the military doesn’t kill me, the poison will. If I could have stopped him..”

“Poison?” Andy cursed before going to grab some supplies. She took a blood sample before teleporting to the infirmary lab to work on an antidote. Ten minutes later, she was back in her house, injecting it into him. “Tell me what happened.”

“The night after I got to headquarters, I was contacted by someone who said they had info about several Branch scientists who are missing. When I arrived to meet them, I was shot. When I woke, I was in the bunker with a masked man. He told me that there was going to be a shooting.

I said I’d stop it, but he just laughed and said I was going to be doing it..” He closed his eyes tiredly. “Then he stuck me with a needle and said I was going to die in 24 hours..” 

“There’s photo evidence of you shooting people at headquarters...” Andy sighed.

He began to breathe fast. “I didn’t do it.. You have to believe me..I’ve been in the bunker since..” His eyes were desperate as he looked at her.

“I believe you. I just need to figure out what’s going on..” She sighed as she tried to think of a plan. 

“I have to leave..” He began to push himself up slowly. “They’re going to come looking. I can’t put any of you in danger.”

She helped him up, “You’re not leaving this house. But I do have a room you can hide in,” she said quietly. “You’re going to wait here until I figure out what’s going on. Okay?” 

“They’re going to arrest you as a precaution. Probably are at the base already. You can’t help me..” He grimaced as he shakily stood.

“Arresting me won’t do anything if I can easily escape it,” she said softly. “I’m going to try to help you whether you want me to or not. Just accept that.” She led him to a wall with a removable panel. She moved it, revealing a small room set up with a sleeping bag and some canned food. 

“They have ways to counteract porting..” He was struggling to remain conscious in his weakened condition. “I don’t want any of you hurt..” He began to sway.

She moved him into the room before kissing him hard, “I’m going to figure this out. Just wait for me.” She moved out and replaced the panel. She then teleported to the base, keeping an eye out for any sign of the military as she worked her way to Tsukasa’s office. 

“Tell me you found him and cleared this up.” Tsukasa was grave, Daiki scowling as he watched the security cameras. “Otherwise in ten minutes we’re either going to be in the brig or dead.”

“I found him, he’s safe for now but I haven’t figured out what exactly is going on yet. He was locked in a bunker during that time, he couldn’t have done it.” She said quickly. “I’m going to go back to the bunker and see if I can find out who did this.”

“Good luck. Doubt we’ll be able to help.” Daiki sighed as he reached for his gun. “They want Boss, you and Kiba. The rest of us weren’t mentioned in the warrant, so there might be trouble.”

Tsukasa looked at her. “Get out of here. Find out who’s behind this. I’ll stall the search for you as long as I can.”

A gunshot rang out from the monitor, Daiki’s eyes going red. “ **_Bastards!_ ** ”

Tsukasa stood, pushing Andy toward the hidden exit. “Go now!” He racked the slide on his pistol, nodding to Daiki to open the office door. “Protect Tet. Don’t worry about us.”

Andy took a deep breath and nodded before leaving. She took a moment before teleporting to the bunker. She started to look around for any clues. 

There wasn’t much to look at, the rusty chain laying on the floor where Tet had laid. Then she spotted a usb poking out from under a bloody shirt that must have been used to staunch Tet’s shoulder. 

She took the usb before teleporting home, checking for any military people before plugging it into her computer.

A security dossier appeared, listing five high ranked Branch scientists. All were listed as missing or dead.

She continued to scan through the information before unplugging it and sticking it back into her pocket. She teleported back to the bunker and slowly climbed up the ladder, working on opening the door.

She emerged, shocked to see their home base in the distance. Tet had been here, dying, a few miles away? They would have never known.

She started searching around the area for any other clues.

She found a discarded ski mask in the dirt, blood dried around the mouth. Nothing else was visible. 

She thought for a few moments, trying to figure out where to go next. Her only thoughts were the Branch base or headquarters. She decided to start with Branch, praying it was still empty from when they got the books back. She teleported there, starting to walk through the building carefully. 

The building was silent until her ringtone began playing. It stopped after several minutes, then the notification of voicemail chimed.

Andy cursed, taking the phone out to see who had called. 

_ Hey, it’s Yamae. Guess you’re busy with Shere Khan right now.. Just wanted to say thank you for everything.. _

He paused several times to cough, something crackling in the background. Finally he spoke again, his voice weak.

_ I know you’ll solve this and clear his name. We want you to tell him we appreciated everything he ever did for us. Be happy, okay? _

The crackling sound became a roar, he gave a sharp cry, then the call ended. 

Andy stared at her phone in shock and confusion. She shook her head and took a deep breath before continuing through the building. After not finding any noticeable clues, she knew she had to go to headquarters to figure out what was happening. She teleported herself inside, starting to sneak around. 

A hand closed around her mouth as she was dragged backwards. “Damn MPs are worthless. You were supposed to be out of my hair.” She felt the prick of a needle, then she was dropped. “I guess you want to join your boyfriend.”

She looked up at the speaker as she tried to push herself to her feet. 

“You’re strong. Wonder how long you’ll be able to keep that up as the pain worsens?” Tet’s face stared back at her.

“How..?” She looked in confusion.

“This?” The man pulled it off. “Pretty good huh? Fooled you and those idiots in security.” He tossed it in a trash can nearby, smoothing his hair back. He gave her a cold smile.

“Why did you do all this?”

“Money. Someone paid me to take him down. It was good money, so I took his reputation and his life.” The man leaned against the wall. “Wish I could have seen him die though.” He gave a shrug. “That’s just the way it is sometimes. Didn’t expect the military to take out the whole unit though.”

Andy growled, “You’re not getting away with this.” She took a deep breath as pain started to race through her.

“Think I already have. Say hello to your boyfriend when you see him on the other side.” He waved at her and vanished.

She grabbed the mask from the trash before teleporting to the base to see what was happening.

Ryusei lay on his back in front of the gate, a single shot to the heart. She could see several more bodies beyond and gasped as she saw the rec room burning.

She rushed in, trying her best to avoid the flames as she looked for her teammates. 

There was a knot of them huddled together by the far wall. Yamae lay facing her, melted phone in his burnt hands. They were all bound and still. Ryon was slumped halfway to his brother.

Andy moved to them, ignoring the pain of the poison and flames until she got to them, then teleported them outside. She went through the bodies, trying to see if anyone was still missing. 

The phoenixes and Jade were absent, as well as Tsukasa and Daiki. 

Andy took a deep breath, finding Akasa among the bodies and knelt down to heal and revive him. She knew she’d need help if she was going to have to heal and revive everyone else. She then moved inside to try to find the missing men. 

Jade staggered into sight, blood drenching his front. His eyes were unfocused, his breathing erratic.

She caught him, saying some spells to try to help heal him. Leading him outside, she helped him sit on the ground. “Stay here and rest, okay?” she said softly.

“They killed Taka and Akira. Daiki too..took Boss out to the range..I heard shooting..” Tears streamed down his cheeks.

“It’s going to be okay, just relax and let me take care of things.” She went to check on Akasa to see if he was conscious yet.

He stared at her in disbelief. “How are you here?”

“Long story. Just when you get the chance, start healing everyone up, okay? I’ll be back out soon,” she said before going to find the others. 

Taka and Akira lay near the base exit to the range. Each had an iron spike stabbed into their chests. Daiki lay outside the door, his throat slashed.

Tsukasa hung from one of the target poles. Multiple gunshot wounds were visible, the fatal one to his left temple. There were still tears on his cheeks.

Andy took him down gently, carrying the men all out to the front where the others lay. 

She started working on healing the men as she spoke to Akasa, “I don’t know exactly who framed Tet, but I met him. He had a mask thing that looks just like Tet. I got that as evidence. He was paid by someone to do it.”

Akasa growled. “If I get my hands on him..” He looked down at Ryon, gently touching his cheek. He fought tears, muttering a spell.

Andy started reviving the ones that were healed. After a while, she collapsed to the ground, the exhaustion from reviving mixing with the poison. Her body trembled as she struggled to breathe.

“Andy! What do I do?” Akasa cradled her, his face desperate.

“Keep working on the others... I’ll be alright to help them..” She looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head, “There’s a recipe for an antidote on the computer in the infirmary.. Go make some?”

He gently lay her down, racing for the infirmary. Ten minutes later, he was back and administering the antidote. “Please be alright..”

She blinked her eyes open weakly and whispered, “Don’t worry.. Work on the others.”

He nodded hurriedly, moving away and beginning to say spells over a set of bodies.

Her phone rang, breaking the silence.

She stared at the phone to see who was calling.

Her home number displayed.

“Hello?” She answered quietly, unsure who was using her phone.

“You’re good, I’m impressed. Hiding him in a wall? I might have to use that trick myself.” The assassin chuckled. “It wasn’t good enough though.”

Andy growled and focused on her home, teleporting to the location.

Her phone dangled off the hook, the room empty. The wall panel was tossed aside to expose the hidden room. She saw blood smeared on the opening.

She climbed in to try to find Tet.

He lay face down on the floor, a trail leading from the blood drenched sleeping bag. A large knife jutted from his back.

Andy transported Tet back to the base and removed the knife, starting to heal him up. After healing the rest of the men, she focused, gold light surrounding them all at once. She swayed as she focused but continued her work until the whole team was back to breathing.

She helped Akasa get everyone into the infirmary after she made sure the fire was stopped.

She sat on a chair, leaning her head back, exhaustion from the revival and leftover symptoms from the poison wearing her out. She tried to think of how to catch the assassin. He obviously was quick at disappearing, so would she be able to port and get the jump on him?

Jade was in the lab muttering to himself as he squirted something into a test tube. A puff of smoke erupted and he sighed, reaching for another tube.

Andy dozed off in the chair, the exhaustion finally getting to her.

“Come on Akasa.. Teach me the spell.” Jade whined.

“Not a chance. You’re not wrecking Andy’s work.” Akasa’s voice was irritated.

Andy groaned at hearing her name, pushing her head up to look at them.

“Fine. I’ll get one of the porters to help me then.” Jade scowled and headed for Yamae’s bed.

Akasa rolled his eyes. “They won’t help either. They like living.”

“What’s up Jade?” Andy said sleepily.

“I heard what you told Akasa. I know who the bastard is and I know how to stop him. So I just need a porter to get me there.”

“Tell me your plan.”

He waved a pair of syringes. “Get close enough to stick him with one if not both of these. Watch him die. Knock back a few beers.” He grinned at her.

She took a deep breath, “Alright.” She stood, still a little shaky.

It was Akasa’s turn to groan. “Don’t encourage him.”

“Well, I need to take this guy out anyway. If his plan works..”

“Your funerals.” Akasa sighed, leaving the room.

Andy shrugged, “I’ve already almost died today, so why not.” She looked at Jade again, “What’s in the syringes?”

“A drug to kill reptile shifters. That’s what this bastard is.” Jade’s voice was hard.

She nodded, “Alright. I’ll get you there and distract him while you get him with those. Ready?”

He nodded silently, taking her hand.

She focused on the man’s face and teleported to him. She looked around at their location.

A large office overlooking the ocean, a desk facing the door. The man looked up in shock and anger. “How did you find me?”

“I’m just good like that,” she gave a small smirk. “Who hired you?”

“Himself. Isn’t that right, Alassadi? You sure can’t take losing can you?” Jade sneered.

“Then why?”

“Cause Tet kicked his ass in front of his mercenaries. His empire crumbled because he played dirty and lost their respect.” Jade’s voice was icy. “I guess you thought you could do the same thing to him again?” He pulled one of the syringes and ran toward the man.

He’d almost made it when suddenly Alassadi sprouted fangs and sank them into the arm holding the syringe. It fell from Jade’s hand as he went white. The assassin then threw him out the window with a laugh.

Andy growled, pouncing as she turned into a panther and attempting to claw him apart.

He gave a cry, falling over before baring his fangs at her. “You want to die that badly?” He hissed and shot toward her attempting to sink his fangs in.

Andy hissed back, turning into a snake and slithering out of the way.

He screamed in rage, shifting into a rattlesnake and moving to attack.

They kept avoiding each others attacks, almost moving in a circle as they faced each other. Finally she jumped and shifted again, this time into a hawk, grabbing onto him with her talons.

He hissed, thrashing violently. Suddenly he stiffened and then went limp.

A pale hand dropped the syringe weakly. Jade gave her a shaky grin. “I hate climbing..”

Andy reverted back to her human form before grabbing Jade and teleporting them back to the infirmary. She worked on checking him over, caring for the bite and getting an antivenin.

“Arigachu.” He gave her a sleepy grin before he drifted off.

“Andy? Didn’t I tell you not to worry about us?” Tsukasa sat up with a frown.

“Yeah.. I didn’t listen though..” 

“Obviously..” Kiba blinked his eyes open. “Is it safe for Tet to be here?”

“We’ve figured out who did it and just took him out. We just need to clear everything with the military,” Andy updated as she moved to sit, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath.

“I’ll take care of that. You look like you’re going to drop.” Tsukasa rose and picked her up, laying her in his bed.

“Well I had been poisoned earlier and had to revive almost the whole team,” she said quietly as she closed her eyes again, falling to sleep in seconds.

Tsukasa and Kiba exchanged looks, then the dragon headed for his office.


	20. Chapter 20

Andy woke early, heading to the kitchen to start preparing baskets of food. After she was done, she finally started on breakfast, noting it was about time the guys would be waking up. She filled her own plate then sat down.

Tet and Kiba entered, conferring over a schedule. They both kissed her before getting plates and sitting down. “I think today can be hand to hand, tomorrow the range?” Tet shoveled the food in, handing the paper to Kiba.

“Why don’t we have a break day? Get some exercise by swimming at the beach?” Andy suggested.

They frowned at her. “Why?”

“Why not? It’ll give the team a needed break which will help the team overall.”

Tet exchanged a look with Kiba, then sighed. “I am a little worn out..”

“See? Relaxing and getting some sun will help,” Andy smiled.

“We surrender.” The men chorused with soft smiles.

Ryon and Akasa came in, their hands clasped together. They gave a wave as they got food and sat down.

Andy grinned at Kiba and Tet, “Good, I already prepared the food for the day.” She looked over at Ryon, “Tell everyone we’re having a beach day.”

“Sneaky..” Kiba chuckled as the porter lifted an eyebrow. “At least we’ll get away from Boss.”

“Why doesn’t he go with us?” Andy suggested.

“You’ve never tried to pry him away from his desk when he’s overworked.” Kiba shook his head. “Fighting Branch is easier than trying to get Puff to relax, unless alcohol is involved.”

“Well, I’ll at least offer it to him,” Andy said as she finished her food.

“Need a fire extinguisher?”

Andy rolled her eyes before putting her plate in the sink and heading down to Tsukasa’s office.

She could hear Tsukasa’s pulse through the door as it raced dangerously.

She knocked on the door before sticking her head in.

Daiki gave her a small smile from where he was trying to keep Tsukasa calm. Smoke billowed in the air, spreading on the ceiling in clouds.

“Hey, are you okay?” Andy asked quietly.

“Headquarters just told him there’s an evaluator coming next week. He’s close to losing control.” Daiki sighed as he bent and looked at the dragon. “Breathe. Calm down before you pass out.”

Tsukasa stared at the desk, his eyes distant as the panic attack worsened.

“Do I need to give him a sedative?” Andy said with worry.

“Might be a good idea. Damn them for doing this now!” Daiki growled as he tried to get Tsukasa’s attention.

Andy went and grabbed a sedative before returning and injecting it into his arm. 

He stared dully at her before he slumped into the vampire’s arms.

Daiki cradled him gently. “What did you want before?”

“We’re taking a beach day to relax.. Thought he might need it.”

“Great idea. I’ll bring him like this. Then he can’t argue when he wakes.”

Andy smiled, “Alright. We’ll probably leave soon.”

“Okay.” The vampire lay Tsukasa on the nearby couch, running a hand through his hair. “Didn’t expect the news to cause a panic attack. But after the incident with Tet, maybe I should have.”

“Well we can give him some anti anxiety meds if he needs them.”

Kiba knocked on the door. “Remember how Boss always claimed this wasn’t a daycare?”

“Why?” Andy raised an eyebrow.

“The announcement of a beach day has turned half of us into five year olds.” He grinned until he spied Tsukasa. “What’s wrong?”

“Panic attack. Apparently we’re getting evaluated next week.”

“Shit. This idea is sounding better and better.” Kiba looked at her. “We should go before the ‘kids’ start whining.”

She nodded, “Let me go change then I’ll be ready.” She headed out and put her light blue bikini on before covering it with a yellow sundress. Then she went to the kitchen and started getting the baskets out and handing them to the porters.

The group collectively raised an eyebrow as Daiki entered, Tsukasa on his back.

Andy smiled, “Alright let’s go.” She gave them the location of the beach before starting to port there. She smiled as she spotted the vast water, the sun bright in the sky.

A minute later, the beach was filled with rowdy young men.

Daiki gently laid Tsukasa on a towel, then gave her a smile.

Two pairs of hands reached for her dress, tossing it over the baskets. Then both men picked her up and headed for the water.

Andy laughed, excited to get to swim.

The three of them splashed into the waves, Tet kissing her deeply.

“My turn.” Kiba claimed her mouth greedily.

Andy smiled as they pulled away, then giggled and splashed water at them both.

“You’re gonna pay for that..” Tet mock growled as he pounced on her.

Andy laughed again, wrapping her arms around him to keep afloat. 

Kiba whistled, pointing past them at Jack and Zal, who were surfing.

Andy smiled, noticing a few of the others had started a volleyball game on the beach.

Ryon fell on the sand, a smile growing as the ball went over and bounced. He brushed his hair out of the way and stuck his tongue out at Akasa on the other side of the net.

His brother chuckled, extending his hand to lift him. “Don’t make him lose too bad” he whispered.

Ryon winked, then got ready for the next serve.

Tsukasa blinked his eyes open, a look of confusion on his face.

Andy chuckled as she noticed him.

He gave her a look, then leaned back and closed his eyes.

Andy started swimming out from the beach, diving underwater and smiling at the tiny fish she saw.

Kiba appeared, giving her a wave as he swam past.

Eventually she quit swimming, opting to float on her back and enjoy the sun.

Tet lay on a towel, his eyes closed.

Yamae had wandered over to the phoenixes and they were building what appeared to be a replica of the base.

Ryusei sat on a towel, staring into the horizon.

Andy got out of the water, wrapping a towel around herself before breaking into the food baskets. She grabbed herself a sandwich before sitting down beside Tet.

“Do you ever get tired of being right?” He asked without opening his eyes.

“No,” she smirked.

The tiger laughed, cracking an eye open.

She sat eating as she looked around at the others. When she was done, she laid back and leaned against Tet.

He wrapped his arms around her. “What did we do to deserve you?”

She blushed. “You’re sweet.”

“It’s easy when you’re beside an angel.” He kissed her neck softly. “I can forget everything when you’re next to me.” 

She gave a soft chuckle, “I might be nice but I don’t know about angel level.”

“You’re definitely a guardian angel.” Kiba sat down next to them.

She smiled softly, “I love you guys.”

“We love you more.” Kiba kissed them both, then lay down. “We should just stay here.”

Andy chuckled, “I wish we could stay here forever.”

“Let’s retire here. Become beach bums.” Tet laughed.

“We could build a little shack to live in,” Andy added.

“I second the motion. Resolution passed.” Kiba slammed down an invisible gavel.

Andy smiled, closing her eyes and relaxing, “Problem is, we’d have to fish for our food.”

“Tigers are good at fishing..” Tet answered. “Now wolf boy here might starve, but..”

Andy laughed in response. She was quiet for a while before asking, “How late do we want to stay? We could build a fire once it’s dark?”

“This was your idea, darlin.” Tet smiled at her.

“We could send someone for s’more ingredients and roast marshmallows,” Andy suggested.

Tet and Kiba looked at her. “What are s’mores?”

Andy stared at them for a minute, “Seriously, you’ve never had s’mores? It’s graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.”

“Sounds like something parents make for their kids.” Tet’s voice was quiet.

“They’re good. You’ll love them,” she smiled before standing. She headed over to Ryusei, “Want to go to the store with me?”

“Okay.” He stood up, then looked at her. “What are we getting?”

“Firewood and ingredients for s’mores.”

His eyes clouded, but he nodded and ported her to the nearest store.

She picked out what they needed then paid. “You okay?”

He gave her a smile and nodded. “Fine. Why?”

“Just making sure. You know what s’mores are don’t you? Tet and Kiba have never had them.”

“Tet and Kiba were raised in a lab. I wasn’t. I know what they are.” He took the firewood, then ported them back. He busied himself building the fire.

When it was up and burning, she moved her towel near it and set the ingredients out for everyone. 

Ryusei excused himself as Tet and Kiba approached. He resumed his spot, once again watching the horizon.

Andy frowned. After a minute she headed over to him and sat next to him, “What’s wrong?”

“How old were you when..” He trailed off, looking down at the sand.

“When what?” She said gently.

“Your parents.”

She sighed, “Luckily I was almost an adult.”

A sad smile flitted across his face. “I’m glad.”

“How about you?”

“Ten..” He whispered.

Andy wrapped her arms around him, “That must have been tough.”

“They were like you. The town we lived in was nice until one day a group of those anti shifter thugs showed up.. I’d stayed home with a cold, so my mom was making my favorite snack.. They broke down the door..” His shoulders began to shake and he buried his face in her shoulder.

“That’s terrible. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she said gently, running a hand through his hair.

“Afterwards, I just wandered around. One day, Ryon caught me stealing his lunch. He took me in, then we stayed together and entered Branch.”

“I’m glad you found someone so you weren’t by yourself.”

“I hadn’t thought about it in years until you mentioned them.” He gave a small laugh as he wiped his eyes. “Sorry for being an idiot.”

“You’re fine,” she smiled softly. “Do you want to come make some with us?”

He gave her a smile. “I’d like that.”

She stood and held a hand out to help him up, then headed back to her towel. She grabbed a marshmallow and a stick, then started heating it.

Ryusei did the same, chuckling at the matching confusion on the shifter’s faces. He turned as Ryon softly touched his shoulder.

“You okay?” The redhead asked softly, smiling when he received a nod. Ryon moved to Andy’s side, whispering a thank you gratefully.

Andy gave him a smile before starting to show Kiba and Tet how to make s’mores.

Their faces lit up as they ate, making them look like little boys.

Andy smiled as her mind flashed to when she first made s’mores. Her family was camping, sitting out in the woods under the stars. She remembered her dad handing her the ingredients and her mom helping her put it together. She smiled softly, wishing they were still there with her.

“Andy? You okay?” Tet’s eyes were concerned, his cheek smeared with chocolate.

“Yeah, just some memories popping up,” she smiled before wiping his face off.

He chuckled and kissed her as Kiba began to eat another s’more with a wide smile.

Ryusei snickered, putting together one himself. He gave Andy a smile as he bit into it.

Andy finished her s’more and stared into the fire, losing her thoughts in the flames.

After awhile, Ryon touched her shoulder. “I’m going to take him home.” He gave a soft smile towards the sleeping porter. “I’m glad you could get him to talk.”

“Me too,” she smiled. She looked around the beach to see who was left.

Daiki made his way over, “Take us home? I am  _ not _ carrying him again.”

Andy nodded and stood, heading over and teleporting Tsukasa and Daiki back to the base. “Have a good night guys.” She teleported back to the beach where Kiba and Tet were still sitting.

“This was nice..” Kiba’s voice was sleepy, but he wore a bright smile. Tet ruffled his hair and nodded. “We should just learn that she has the best ideas and stop arguing.”

Andy chuckled, “That would be nice.”

Tet grinned at her, catching Kiba as he tumbled over with a soft snore. “I think we wore him out.”

“Let’s go home,” she touched their arms before teleporting them back to the base. They appeared in her bed and she moved the blanket out of the way so Tet could lay Kiba down. 

He gave his cheek a soft kiss, snickering as Kiba curled into the touch. “He really is a little kid sometimes.”

Andy smiled sleepily, “That’s alright, I think we all can be sometimes.”

Tet snuggled beside her, wrapping his arms around and laying his head on her shoulder. “Sleep well darlin.”

“You too,” she kissed his cheek before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

  
  



	21. Chapter 21

“ _ Please  _ behave while the evaluator is here.” Tsukasa surveyed the team, his voice pleading. “We don’t know why they are here, so don’t do anything that might backfire.”

“Relax Boss. We’ll be perfect little angels.” Jade called out, making the team burst into laughter.

“Yeah, a fallen one in your case.” Ryon snarked.

Andy rolled her eyes. “We’ll be fine,” Andy tried to assure.

“I’m not worried about you, it’s _ them _ I am petrified of.” The dragon sighed before leaving the kitchen.

Andy sighed, “Try to behave guys.” She went to start cleaning up from the meal.

Tet helped her, his face pensive. He began to wash dishes quietly as the team filed out.

“You okay?” Andy glanced over at him.

“Just worried.” He tried to smile, but his eyes were stormy.

“It’ll be alright,” Andy gave him a small smile as she started to dry the dishes.

“Just, this might be a disaster for other reasons than the guys being their usual hyperactive selves. I told you once this was an experiment to see if we could work together..” He stopped washing, leaning on the sink. “What if they decide we’re too dangerous after everything that’s happened?”

“Hopefully we can show them we’re not dangerous,” Andy said quietly. “But no matter what happens, we’ll all stick together.” 

“Not if they disband us and send us back to our original units..” He closed his eyes, a wince crossing his face.

“If they want to do that, we’ll just have to figure something else out.”

He chuckled softly, opening his eyes and finishing the dishes. He put them on the other side of the sink, then ran some cold water and wiped his face. He gave her a half smile.

“So what’s on your schedule today?”

“Was supposed to teach a hand to hand refresher course, but I think Jack will have to do it for me.” Tet rubbed his temples with another wince. “Think I came down with something.”

Andy said a spell to help with the pain, “Go get some rest.” 

He gave her a kiss, then headed out as Kiba came in.

“He doesn’t look so good.”

“I just told him to go rest. Hopefully he’ll feel better later.”

“Hope so too. What are your plans?”

“Not really sure. Might take stock of the infirmary supplies. You?”

“Running errands for everyone.” He chuckled. “I lost a bet.”

Andy laughed, “Want some company?”

“I was actually going to ask that.” He kissed her with a grin. 

“Well, let’s go then. Maybe when we’re done with everyone else's errands we can pick up some more groceries.”

“Sounds good.” He took her arm.

“Where to? Or would you rather drive?”

“It’s a beautiful day..Let’s drive.”

Andy nodded before heading out of the kitchen. They went out and headed to her car, rolling down the roof to enjoy the sun.

“Feels good to get out for a change.” Kiba leaned his head back as the wind ruffled his hair. 

She smiled, “Yeah. Maybe we should just volunteer to do errands so we get some freedom.” She gave a small chuckle. “So where are we heading?”

He pulled out his cell, consulting his list. “Game store, the new clothing store next to the market and Boss’ salon. He ran out of dye.” He chuckled at her. “He hated the pink but when it darkened he loved it. Kinda weird seeing him as a redhead.”

Andy laughed and headed to the game store. “What do we need here?”

He headed for the game wall, grabbing several. “We beat all the others. Well, more like Shouma did.”

“Of course he did,” Andy chuckled. She glanced around the store, looking for anything of interest. She didn’t find anything so she just waited for him to finish.

He finished paying, then grinned at her. “One mission complete.”

She smiled and they headed off to the salon. After getting what they needed, she started her way to the clothing store. A used book store caught her eye though and she pulled into the parking lot.

Kiba rolled his eyes, but joined her in looking around. His eyes lit up as he glimpsed something across the room.

She raised an eyebrow at him and looked to see what he was looking at.

He eagerly flipped through a shifter manga, his eyes bright.

Andy chuckled before continuing to look around. Her eyes were pulled to the bottom shelf, a dusty blue leather book sitting there. She crouched down to pick it up, the feeling of a protection spell familiar to her and it reminded her of a book of shadows. She opened it, finding neatly typed spells. These involved more than just words like the spells she was used to. Some used different plants and rocks, some were recipes for potions. She finished dusting it off, deciding she’d buy it and see what use she could get from it.

She headed back to Kiba, “You buying anything?”

“Definitely.” He had several volumes of the manga in his hands. He blushed slightly. “Looks like you found something.”

“Yeah. It’s a spell book.”

“Holy shit. That’s weird to have lying around, ain’t it?”

Andy shrugged, “Maybe. It doesn’t look like it’s been touched in years though.”

He nodded. “We should get going.”

Andy went to the cashier and paid for her and Kiba’s books before heading out to the car. She drove to the clothing store finally, “What do we need here?”

“Boxers...” He gave her an impish grin. “You didn’t have to pay for me. Thanks.” He slid out of the car, then leaned over the door. “Why don’t you get the groceries next door. I shouldn’t be long.”

Andy smirked, “You should find the most embarrassing pair of boxers so we can give them to Tet.”

“Were you reading my mind?”

“Great minds think alike,” she laughed before getting out of the car. 

Kiba’s eyes danced as he headed into the store.

Andy went to the market, quickly filling a cart with food. When she was done, she went back out and started loading the car.

Kiba joined her a minute later, one large bag in his hand. “Couldn’t choose. Think I’ll spread them around.”

Andy chuckled, “How many did you buy?”

He checked the receipt. “15..”

She rolled her eyes but smiled.

He set the bag in the car, pulling an orange and black pair out. “You think he’ll kill me?”

Andy giggled, “Just tell him if he doesn’t like them you’ll gladly help him remove them.”

He waggled his eyebrows with a grin. “Think Boss has gone nuclear yet?”

“Hopefully not..”

“We should get back..” His cell rang and he answered. His eyes darkened. “Roger. We’re on our way.”

“What’s up?”

“Well, our luck held. Not the right kind though. Boss had another meltdown after the evaluator arrived. She apparently already has made up her mind about us. And Tet got worse. Akasa thinks its pneumonia.” 

Andy sighed, “Alright..” She stopped at a drug store and picked up a few things for Tet before getting them back to the base. She worked on unloading the car before heading into the infirmary to check on him.

He had an oxygen mask on, his face flushed. His eyelids twitched slowly as Akasa watched the readouts.

Andy laid out the medicine she’d bought and opened them before moving to Tet’s side. “Tet? I need you to wake up and take these. They’ll help you feel better.”

His eyes fluttered open slowly, a small smile appearing under the mask.

Akasa sighed. “Jack found him struggling to breathe after you two left. Temperature was over 101.”

Andy frowned but nodded. She made sure he took the meds before saying a spell to try to help until they kicked in. “Unfortunately there’s not many spells to help with this kind of thing. Just have to keep monitoring him and wait until the meds kick it out of his system.”

Akasa sighed, moving away as a glaring woman entered. 

“Are you Takimoto?”

“Yes,” Andy nodded.

“Kadoya’s aide is refusing me access to both himself and several others. He said it was due to medical reasons.” She tapped her pen on a clipboard repetitively.

“Yes, quite a few of the men have medical issues.” She glanced at Tet with a worried look. “There’s something going around right now.”

“I just saw Specialist Nakamura in the kitchen. He appears to be fine, but Kaito refuses to allow me to speak with him.” She scowled.

“I haven’t seen him yet, but I’m sure Kaito has a reason for his actions. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

The evaluator shook her head angrily, turning away and heading for the door. She sneered at Daiki as he stopped in the hallway. “This is going in my report.” She stalked past him and disappeared.

He grimaced, then gave Andy a tired smile.

“How’s Tsukasa doing?”

“Had to sedate him. That bitch all but flat out said we were finished as a team. That either we’d be returned to our former units or dismissed from the military without benefits. He actually got into a yelling match with her.”

“Well you know I always have a place for everyone if we do all get dismissed.”

“Yeah, I know. Now she’s demanding access to Ryusei and Kiba.” He scowled, his eyes flashing.

“Why them though?”

“Branch. She wants to interrogate them over their experiences. I told her to jump in the lake wearing concrete shoes.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “It doesn’t seem to matter what we say, she’s not going to like us anyway. She might as well just leave now and get it over with.”

“She’s refusing. Says she’s waiting on a warrant to take custody of them. Andy, she wants to use hypnotics so she can get their full memories.” Daiki looked frightened. “I told her that both of them are severely traumatized and she said they should be hospitalized then.”

Andy growled, “Can I just shred this bitch?”

“I’m one step away from biting her. I was hoping you might be able to calm the situation.” He sat down as Akasa eyed him critically.

“You’ve lost weight. Why aren’t you eating?”

Daiki looked at the floor. “I have been, just not supplementing with blood.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Why not?”

“Would you rather me use this? It  _ would _ end it faster.” He held a syringe filled with a molten looking liquid.

Akasa paled, attempting to snatch it away.

Daiki evaded his hand with a sigh.

Andy quietly asked, “What’s been going on that you’re doing this?”

“Branch, that attack on Tsukasa, this bitch..take your pick. She wanted me to sign something about keeping silent about my turning.”

Andy frowned, “Why? That seems odd.”

“The higher ups are afraid we might go public with Branch’s crimes. Reveal that they lied to us with the military’s approval.”

“We  _ should  _ go public. It’s not fair what they’ve done.”

“That involves going public with everything. Revealing our very existence. They’d wipe us out before allowing that.” He idly stared at the syringe, his eyes distant.

Andy sighed, “We’ll figure things out. We always do. Try not to worry. I’m sure Tsukasa does enough of that for everyone here.”

Akasa moved to her side. “You need to get that away from him. If he uses that, you won’t be able to bring him back. It’s liquid Hellfire.”

Andy crouched in front of Daiki, “Will you please give me that? There’s no need for you to use it. Everything is going to be alright.”

He looked at her, his gaze sad and empty. “Not sure I can believe that right now. This might be the best thing.. Can’t send back what doesn’t exist..” He began to position the needle above his elbow.

Andy quickly grabbed it from him, tossing it away before wrapping her arms around him. “I know things are tough right now, but that doesn’t mean you should end it. What about all the good things you’d miss?”

“If I’m not here, there aren’t any..” His voice was choked with tears. “I’ll be dead anyway. If I get sent back, my death sentence is reinstated. I’ll be shot.”

“I won’t let that happen.”

He gave a teary chuckle. “You going to blow up the entire military? Because the three of us were sentenced by the military court fifteen years ago. Our release is based on this unit being operational.”

“You should know I’d try to.”

He started laughing. “You’re crazier than we are.”

Andy shrugged, “Not sure that’s a bad thing.”

He gave her a small smile before sagging into her arms.

Akasa ran a scanner over him with a growl. “You idiot.” He showed her the readout. “His body is close to shutting down.”

Andy sighed and got him into a bed. “Set him up on a bag of nutrients and if you can get him to drink any blood, that would help.” 

Akasa nodded, going to get the items.

“Andy? Keep that bitch away, will you?” Kiba came in, Ryusei in his arms.

“What happened?”

“She cornered him. Gave him something. He freaked out, shifted and started to burn down the barracks. Luckily, he passed out before there was much damage.”

Andy growled, “I’m going to kill that bitch.”

Kiba laid the porter down so Akasa could examine him. He gave an evil grin as he looked at her. “Can I help?”

Andy sighed, starting to pace. She tried to think of ideas on how to keep everyone safe. Finally, an idea crossed her mind. She went and grabbed a syringe before writing some words down so she wouldn’t forget them.

She headed out of the infirmary and went to find the evaluator.

The woman was walking toward the infirmary, her face triumphant. “I have a warrant for Kadoya and Nakamura. Please be accommodating and turn them over.”

“May I see your warrant please?” Andy asked quietly.

The woman produced a piece of paper and handed it over. “This gives me the right to transport them to a military psychiatric facility for evaluation and possible commitment.”

Andy nodded slowly and handed it back. As the woman went to put it away, she stuck the syringe in the woman’s neck.

The woman yelped, staring at her before her knees buckled.

Andy lifted the woman up and took her into the infirmary, placing her in a single bedded room. She waited a little while then tried to wake the woman, knowing the sedative was still in effect. She muttered the words she had written down, focusing on the woman and praying it would work. If she could get her semi conscious, she could implant her with new ideas.

“What’s happening?” Her words were slightly slurred.

“You’re resting after a long day with your evaluation.”

Her forehead creased. “Colonel Kadoya’s group.. My report..”

“Yes, Kadoya’s group. You are giving them a passing report.”

She nodded slowly, then frowned. “Nakamura.. He needs treatment..”

“He’s getting treatment here. He’s going to be fine.”

The woman sighed sleepily. “I’m glad. I didn’t want to do it, but orders..They’re so young..” 

“What orders were you given?”

“To make sure the experiment was terminated. To transport Kadoya and Nakamura to hospital along with anyone else I could justify. The rest were to be returned to their former positions from fifteen years ago.”

“Who gave you these orders?”

“Brigadier General Orton. He was most insistent about the hospital.”

“Alright. You’re going to return and give the group a passing report. You won’t remember talking to me when you wake up.”

She nodded slowly, her breathing evening into sleep.

Andy left the room and looked at Kiba, “Ever heard of Orton?”

He growled menacingly. “Bastard makes Tet’s dad look like Santa Claus. He  _ hates _ us. Especially Boss. No idea why.”

“At this point, my plan is to go kill him. Not sure I can hypnotize that much hate out of someone.”

“What the hell is going on?” Tsukasa’s voice was sharp.

Andy winced, “The evaluator was given orders to shut us down.”

Smoke began to erupt from him. “Who and why?”

“Orton. Not sure, other than he seems like an ass.”

“That is the most  _ massive _ understatement of the century.” Tsukasa took a deep breath. “What happened to them?” His gaze settled on Daiki and Ryusei.

“She cornered Ryusei and fucked him up. Daiki.. he just needs some help.”

“There paperwork for this fiasco?”

Andy shrugged. “Not sure. All I know is, she got a warrant, and I knocked her out and hypnotized her to give us a passing report. That doesn’t help the Orton problem so I was considering killing him.”

Tsukasa fought a smile. “Careful. There won’t be anyone left if you keep killing my bosses. Where’s the warrant?”

Andy headed into the other room and grabbed it, checking the woman’s pockets for anything else important. She then went out and handed it to Tsukasa.

He scanned it slowly, his breaths beginning to flame. “ _ Bastard! I’m going to fry him myself.. _ ”

“We need to be sneaky about it.”

“Fuck that. The bastard signed them over to the Branch “hospital”.”

Kiba paled. “You mean that one masquerading as a psychiatric facility?”

“We could go destroy that too while we’re at it,” Andy said angrily.

“What would we do with the patients?” Akasa had been quiet, but now he spoke.

“Clinic?” Andy suggested.

Tsukasa nodded thoughtfully. “I doubt any of them are dangerous. Let’s do this.”

Andy nodded, “Where are we going first? Taking out Orton or the “hospital?””

“I’ll take care of Orton. You guys go take out the facility.” Tsukasa grabbed a radio. “Yamae, get your ass in here.”

A second later, the porter appeared. “What’s up Boss?”

“Headquarters. Now.”

The porter shrugged, touched the dragon’s arm and disappeared.

Andy looked at Akasa, “You keep an eye on them here, she’ll be waking up soon. She should just go on her way if everything worked out right.” She then looked at Kiba, “Get a small team together.”

“Yes ma’am.” He headed for the door and disappeared.

Ten minutes later he returned. Ryon, Jade and Leo trailed behind him.

“Alright, Ryon and I will work to get the patients out to the clinic. You three focus on keeping the workers out of our way, then when we get them all we’ll blow the place.”

They nodded, everyone but Kiba vanishing.

Andy grabbed Kiba’s arm and teleported them there. She noticed the large building and snuck in the entrance.

Kiba followed, pushing the nurses toward a storage room. His radio crackled. 

“This place is empty.” Jade reported.

“Not quite.” Leo’s voice was tight. “Need a little help. Our porter just passed out. I think from shock.”

Andy headed to their location, entering slowly.

Leo was crouched over a slowly waking Ryon. There were three men restrained in beds, unconscious.

Andy went to them, teleporting them out to the clinic and placing them onto the beds. She then returned to check on Ryon.

“Sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.” He rose shakily, Leo supporting him.

“Are you okay?” She asked softly.

He nodded slowly, his eyes wide. “Didn’t expect it, that’s all. Are we leaving?”

“Yeah. Let’s blow this place.” 

The radio buzzed. “Are you guys coming or did you want to work on your tans?” Kiba sounded bored.

They headed out, “Sorry. Let’s go.”

Kiba pushed the button as they exited the building, grimacing as it collapsed. Jade sighed and sat him down on the grass. “Let me see.” The blond scowled as he pulled Kiba’s shirt up to reveal a hole in his side. “Andy..”

Andy moved to him and frowned, “What happened?” She started on healing spells.

“Security snuck up on me while I was laying the charges. He had good aim.” Kiba winced.

“Let’s get to the clinic, okay?” She teleported them all there, getting Kiba on a bed and working on cleaning the wound as she said more spells.

Ryon sat beside one of the men, a tall redhead who looked like a much older version of the porter. He held one limp hand, using the other to brush the man’s hair back.

“Who is he?” Andy asked when she was done with Kiba.

“Our older brother. We thought he was dead..” Ryon’s voice was slow. “He joined up before us. He disappeared on a mission.”

“At least you’ve found him now,” she gave a small smile.

“Glad Ryusei isn’t here. He might have had a heart attack..” Ryon chuckled.

Andy busied herself with checking the men over, making sure they weren’t injured.

Ryon stood over the other two shaking his head. “Can’t believe both of them were there.. You should be prepared for his reaction with a reviving spell.”

“Do you know them too?”

“Only by a picture he carries. These two are his older brothers. They were thought to have died the same night his parents did.”

Andy nodded in understanding. “Alright, should we get them to the base then or wait a while?”

“Are they in danger? I mean are they sick?”

“Not physically, but the place was supposedly for psych stuff. I won’t know that kind of thing until they wake up.”

He exhaled sharply. “Boss is going to wonder where we are.”

“Let’s get them to the base,” she said before cleaning up the supplies. She teleported a few of the group out as Ryon did the rest. She glanced over at Akasa, “How’s it been here?”

“Tet woke up. Seems the meds are working. Ryusei.. He’s awake but mute. I moved him into the other room. Evaluator is gone. Boss needed a patch up, but he’s okay. Daiki’s improving physically. Won’t wake up though.”

Andy sighed, “Wait a while longer on Daiki. If he doesn’t wake in a while maybe we can get Tsukasa to wake him. I’ll go check on Ryusei.” She headed into the other room. 

Ryusei sat huddled on the bed, his back to the door. He didn’t look up.

“Ryusei?” She moved in front of him. “Are you with me?”

He sighed, then nodded. He tried to smile.

“Hey, I heard what happened with that evaluator cornering you. I’m sorry she got to you.”

He shrugged, looking down at the bed.

Andy wrapped her arms around him, “I should have done a better job keeping her from you.”

He shook his head, reaching for a small notebook and scribbling.  _ “My fault.” _

“I have some news for you..” Andy said slowly. “Are you up for it?”

He narrowed his eyes, then nodded. 

“We went and took out a Branch hospital. Supposedly it’s a psych facility. There were three patients. Two of them are your brothers.”

He paled, his eyes wide. He scribbled quickly in the notebook.  _ “How? They’re dead..” _

“I don’t know. They’re still unconscious so I haven’t talked to them and I don’t know how they’ll be mentally. But Ryon says they’re your brothers. We found his brother too.”

Ryusei dropped the notebook, a squeaky “What?!” escaping.

“Do you want to see them?”

He took a deep breath, then nodded.

Andy moved to his side and held her arm out to help him off the bed.

He took it nervously. His eyes were wide.

“It’ll be alright,” Andy said softly as she led him out to the main room.

Tears began streaking his cheeks as he caught sight of the two men. His hand trembled in hers.

“It’s okay,” she gave his hand a supportive squeeze. 

“What if they don’t recognize me?” He raised scared eyes to hers.

“I’m sure they will,” she said gently. 

His knees buckled as one of the men spoke. “How could I forget that scrawny body?”

Andy helped support Ryusei, giving him an encouraging smile.

After a minute, he ran to the man. They embraced, the porter sobbing. The other man gently stroked his hair and whispered in his ear softly.

Andy watched with a smile on her face. 

“Darlin?” Tet’s voice was hoarse but strong.

She looked over at him before going to his side, “How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I think? The last thing I remember was lying down after talking to you.” He looked at the three men in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Long story. Reuniting family members.”

“Sounds like a good day. What happened with the evaluation?”

“We’re going to get a good report.”

He nodded. “Is Ryusei even breathing? He sounds like he’s about to pass out.”

Andy looked over and gave a small chuckle, “He’ll be okay.”

“Who are you and where are we?” The redhead sat up slowly.

“Friends of Ryon and Yamae. I’m Andy. You’re at our base.”

“They’re alive?” He looked shocked.

“Yeah. They’re around here somewhere,” Andy informed. 

A minute later both porters were entering, Yamae skidding to a stop as he saw the man.

“Oh my god..” He swayed.

Andy kept an eye on him in case he passed out.

The man stumbled out of the bed and over to them. “You’re alive…” He embraced them.

The twins returned the embrace tightly. A few minutes later, they parted. The man bowed to Andy. “I’m Kei. I take it they’re alive because of you?”

“Yeah, kind of,” she said with a small chuckle.

“Thank you.” He paused, tilting his head. “You’re a witch..”

“That’s one of the many things I am, yes.”

He gave her a smile. “Nice to be among another.”

“We have Akasa who’s also a witch, but we’re the only two here.”

“Two more than my last assignment.” He chuckled.

“Can I get some help here?” The other man asked, Ryusei cradled in his arms. “He’s asleep.”

Andy smiled softly and lifted Ryusei up, laying him gently into an empty bed.

“You been taking care of him?” 

“Trying to,” Andy chuckled.

“He’s always been a handful. Mom constantly threatened to glue his feet to the floor.” The man laughed softly.

Andy laughed, “He’s no more of a handful than everyone else around here.”

“HEY!” Ryon and Yamae shouted in unison.

“You know it’s true,” she smirked.

Kei snickered, ruffling Ryon’s hair. “Still troublemakers, I see.”

“They’re not too bad, honestly,” Andy grinned. 

“What did they bribe you with?” Kei avoided the smack Yamae aimed at him.

She laughed again in response.

“I’m not kidding. They bribed their homeroom teacher with concert tickets to give them A’s instead of D’s.”

Both porters turned red.

“Bribes sound nice,” Andy chuckled, “maybe I should start taking them.”

Tet started laughing. “That’s easy. We’ll just promise to stop avoiding our physicals if you cook a feast every night.”

“Or you could just do that anyway as thanks for all the times I save your ass.”

Tet shut up as the porters laughed and pointed at him.

The noise woke Ryusei’s other brother, who blinked slowly.

Andy blew a kiss toward Tet before she noticed, moving toward the man’s bed.

The first brother carefully got out of bed and took the other man’s hand. “Hideo, don’t freak out okay?”

“Why?”

“Look beside you.”

Hideo turned his head and gasped. “He’s alive…”

Andy glanced over at Ryusei who was still asleep.

“Hitoshi, how?” Hideo reached a trembling hand to touch the porter.

“Ask her. I have no idea.” Hitoshi returned to the bed, sitting down.

“He's been with this group for a while now,” Andy said softly.

“We took care of him before that.” Ryon gazed at the younger man with a smile. “Kinda adopted him.”

Kei ruffled his hair. “That’s my boy.”

Hitoshi gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. All of you.”

“He’s a good kid,” Andy smiled. “He’s not hard to take care of.”

The two in bed looked at her. “What now? Are we being shipped somewhere?”

Andy shrugged, “You can do whatever you want to, it’s not like you’re a prisoner.”

Tsukasa entered quietly. “Do you mind a few more mouths at breakfast?”

“Not a problem,” she smiled.

He looked at the three. “You’re welcome to stay if you want. Or we’ll help settle you somewhere.” He tapped Andy’s shoulder.

Andy looked over at him. 

He handed her a check with a lot of zeros. “Can you deposit this? Since my aide is currently out of commission.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Where did this come from?”

“My boss. Turns out Orton was a spy working for Branch. I took him out, so we got a bonus.”

Andy nodded before glancing over at Daiki, “You should talk to him. He needs help.”

“How bad?” The dragon sighed. “I know that woman was pushing to talk to him.”

“He had a syringe of Hellfire,” Andy said plainly. “He needs to be eating more and drinking blood.”

Tsukasa paled for a moment, then nodded. “I will take care of it.” He crossed to the vampire’s side and began speaking softly.

“You really don’t mind us being here?” Hideo asked quietly.

“It’s no problem,” Andy smiled. 

“Then I’m definitely staying.” Kei wrapped his arms around his brothers.

Hideo and Hitoshi exchanged glances, then nodded. “So are we. We have a lot of time to make up for.”

“Let me know if you need anything. I’m the cook and the doctor,” Andy chuckled.

Kei raised an eyebrow. “Bet you’re the cavalry too.”

“Yeah, sometimes,” she laughed.

“Most of the time.” Ryon corrected as he and Yamae pushed Kei toward the door. “Come on, we need to get you set up.”

Hideo gave a smile toward Ryusei before closing his eyes.

Hitoshi watched his brother sleep for a minute, waiting until Hideo was fully asleep before asking “How is Ryusei really?”

“He’s not bad. I mean, no one here is perfect but he’s doing alright. He’s one of my favorites actually,” Andy admitted. “He’s a lot of fun.”

“I’m glad he has been happy. We never could forgive ourselves for not being there that night..”

“I’m sure you had a reason.”

“We were at college. Our room was attacked and we were kidnapped. When we woke, we were shown pictures of our home in flames. The scientists bragged about how no one suspected the anti shifter group was paid by them to grab shifters.”

Andy sighed, “Those assholes.. It’s terrible you guys had to go through that.”

He gave her a small smile. “We mourned him every day. We fought the doctors non stop until they started to keep us restrained. They had their hands full with Kei. We were told last night that we were going into surgery in the morning.. I’m afraid to even think about what they meant.”

“Well, I’m glad we got you out today then,” she gave a small smile.

Her cell rang.

She picked it up and looked to see who was calling.

She chuckled as Phoenix 1 appeared on the display.

She pressed the button to answer, “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hypothetically, if you were currently trapped by a horde of vampires who had your brother, what would be the best course of action,surrender or fight?” Taka was breathing hard.

“Do I need to come get you?”

“You bringing a platoon with you? Cause I think half the world’s vamps are here.”

“I’ll see who I can grab. Be right there.” She closed her phone and thought for a moment before heading out of the infirmary to find anyone available.

Ryon’s eyes narrowed as he stopped in front of her. “What disaster is happening now?”

“The phoenixes are having trouble with some vamps.”

“Give me five.” He turned and ran toward the barracks.

Leo, Jade and Kenji were exiting the kitchen. They approached her worriedly. “Problem?”

“Vamps have the phoenix twins.”

They growled as Ryon returned with his brothers in tow. 

Kei gave her a smile. “Time to pay back my debt.”

“You don’t have a debt to pay, but thanks for helping,” Andy looked at the small group. “Alright, Taka’s running from them but they’ve captured Akira. Our goal is to get in, get them out, and get ourselves to safety. Take out as many vamps as you can as long as you don’t put yourself in more danger.”

“How many vamps?” Leo was all business.

“In Taka’s words, ‘half the world’s vamps,’ so this definitely won’t be an easy mission.”

Yamae groaned. “How the hell do those two attract so much trouble?”

Andy looked at them, “I don’t know. I’m thinking half of us go for Taka, the other half go for Akira. Then meet back here.”

Leo nodded. “We’ll go for Taka. Yamae can port us. You guys find Akira. Depending how long they’ve had him, he might need medical attention.”

Andy nodded, “Alright, let’s head out.” 

Yamae touched Leo and his team, then vanished.

“Let’s port to Akira’s location and pray we aren’t surrounded.”

Ryon nodded, taking her and Kei’s arms and focusing.

Andy’s eyes first landed on Akira before she quickly looked around to analyze the situation.

Ten vamps began hissing at them, then suddenly vaporized.

Kei cocked an eyebrow. “Go get him already. We’ll hold off if anymore show up.”

Andy moved to Akira’s side, starting to look him over.

His eyes were open but blank. No injuries were visible.

There was a flash of light as Kei muttered a spell. About twenty more vamps were massing a few feet away. The older witch scowled, yelling “Get him out of here! We’ll be right behind you.”

He and Ryon charged forward to meet the enemy.

Andy quickly teleported Akira to the infirmary, placing him gently into a bed. She continued to look him over as she waited for the others to return.

Yamae appeared, Kenji and Jade supporting a limping Taka. Their faces were stony.

“Where’s Leo?”

“They grabbed him. He was watching our backs.” Jade helped Taka to sit down, then scowled.

Andy took a deep breath, focusing on Leo and teleporting to him.

He was slicing into his wrist, his eyes blank as several vampires laughed. There was a set of fang marks on his neck.

Andy said a quick spell focused on a few of the vampires. She rushed forward to Leo, grabbing onto him and teleporting him out before the others could attack. She quickly got him into a bed and started saying spells to close up the wounds. When she was done, she looked around to see if Ryon and Kei made it back yet.

There was no sign of either.

Andy cursed under her breath before muttering the teleportation spell once more. She spotted Ryon first, a group of vampires in the room around her. She looked quickly for Kei. 

His legs stuck out from behind Ryon as the dragon shot a burst of flame warningly at a vampire approaching.

Andy yelled at him, “Get Kei out of here. I’ll be right there.” She shifted into panther form and started clawing at the vampires.

He quickly reverted, turning to grab his brother just as a vampire shoved a clawed hand through his back. He made a surprised noise as it was removed, then crumpled on top of Kei.

Andy growled as she made her way over to him. She tore up as many vampires as she could, but a few latched onto her with their fangs. She kicked them off, finally getting to the brothers, reverting back to human form and porting them back to the infirmary. The bite marks oozed and one on her leg made her limp slightly. She ignored it all though as she got the brothers into beds. She started on Ryon, spending a good hour trying to heal him up. She moved onto Kei, starting to check him over.

A gash on his temple had clotted, some of his ribs were cracked and he had bruises forming around his throat.

Andy recited the spells she knew would help, then took a moment to reassess the situation. She looked around at the full beds, checking to see who still needed her attention. 

Taka was barely conscious, a steady stream of blood coursing down his leg. He didn’t seem to notice as he desperately tried to get Akira’s attention.

Andy stared at Akira for a moment, finally remembering which spell she wanted to use. She recited it and hoped it would release him from the vampires control.

Akira’s eyes blinked, clearing into his normal dark color. Then he passed out, making Taka even more frantic. “Wake up! Please don’t die..”

Taka swayed, his face almost white.

Andy grabbed him, “Don’t worry, he’s going to be alright.” She made him settle into bed and started saying spells to heal his wound.

“Promise?” He struggled to stay conscious, his breaths slowing as the blood loss finally caught up with him.

“Promise.” She said as she got a transfusion set up. She then looked back around the room, seeing if anyone else needed her attention.

Kei gave a cry as he saw Ryon. Stumbling to his side, the witch cradled his brother in his arms as sobs began to shake his frame. “No...no.. this isn’t fair…”

Andy moved to his side, “Shh, it’s alright. Can you let him go for a minute?”

He looked down, brushing Ryon’s bangs back. Then he clenched his jaw and nodded, gently laying the body back down.

Andy closed her eyes for a moment as she focused before opening them, the gold light appearing around Ryon’s body. 

Kei stumbled backwards as Ryon sucked in air. “You--You’re--”

She gave him a small smile, “He’ll be alright now. He just needs more rest.”

The witch sat down as the light faded. “Now I really feel useless..”

“You’re okay. Like I said, a witch is only part of who I am. I’m a necromancer, vamp, and shifter.”

He shook his head. “You’re a walking arsenal. Here I am, a one trick pony. I can’t shift or teleport. I couldn’t even protect  _ him. _ .” He put his head into his hands.

She gently put a hand on his shoulder, “You did the best you can and I’m sure he knows that. I can teach you a teleportation spell so you can at least do that.” She sighed, “I’m only a walking arsenal because of Branch.”

She could feel him tense. “Those bastards did that to you?”

“I was born a witch and necromancer, though I didn’t know it until I met this bunch. Then Branch turned me into a vampire as well as a shifter with three different shifts. They wanted to build a weapon.”

Kei quietly growled for a second, then sighed. “Do you have need of a potion maker? That’s where my real talent lies.”

“You know, I just found a book full of potion recipes,” Andy remembered. “I haven’t really worked with them before.”

“Is it blue by any chance? My spellbook was taken by Branch.”

“Yeah it is,” Andy nodded. “I’ll go grab it and we can see if it’s yours.” She moved slowly, still slightly limping as she went to get it. She returned and held it out to him.

His eyes went wide as he took it. “What are the chances..” He opened it, softly reciting a spell. The blank page suddenly wasn’t blank anymore, an unfinished recipe appearing. “It’s safe..”

He sighed in relief as Akasa swore behind her.

“Sit down before you fall down. I swear, you’re worse than everyone else put together at getting hurt.”

Andy moved to sit before looking back at Kei, “I found it at a bookstore.”

“Really?” He laughed. “That’s amazing.”

Akasa didn’t say anything, just began muttering spells as Kiba entered.

“Anyone seen-- there you are. Wait, what the hell happened?”

“The phoenix twins were taken by vamps. We went on a rescue mission.”

He groaned. “And you left me out? No fair. Are you okay?”

“Just some vamp bites,” Andy answered. “You know that book I bought with spells? It’s Kei’s.”

“Are you kidding me? What the hell was it doing at a used bookstore gathering dust?”

Kei shrugged. “Branch took it when they grabbed me. I always figured they kept it.”

Tsukasa entered, chewing his lip thoughtfully. “Andy, do you know anything about getting into thoughts? Other than telepathy itself?”

“Not really. I just made a hypnotism spell which would kind of have to do with thoughts.” She looked at him, “Is this about Daiki?”

He nodded reluctantly. “Akasa released him to me. Physically he’s fine now but he just stares at the wall. He won’t talk to me and I’m worried. Jack’s with him right now, but it’s like he’s shut us out.”

Andy frowned, “Let me do some research and I’ll let you know.” 

“Thanks. By the way, General Katshiro has ordered another evaluation. A real one, though it’s just to see how well we operate.”

Andy nodded, “Hopefully we’ll pass this one without me needing to hypnotize or kill anyone.”

He chuckled, then looked around. “I see there was some trouble..”

“Issues with vamps again,” Andy said quietly.

“Figures. Everyone okay?”

“Yeah, they’ll all be fine.”

“Good.” He left the infirmary as Akasa finished his spells.

“By the way, Tet’s in your room. At least he’s supposed to be. The medicines knocked out the worst of the infection, but he’s nowhere near operational. You might want to check to make sure he isn’t doing anything stupid. Ryusei and his brothers are in his room talking.” Akasa checked over Leo. “Should I replace the transfusion bag or is he good?” 

Andy checked him over, “I think he’ll be alright. Let me know if you need anything,” she headed out to go to her room.

She opened the door, scowling when she found it empty.

She went to check his room next, wondering if he went to get something.

It was empty as well, the clothes on the floor several days old.

She took a deep breath and focused, teleporting to his location.

He was engaged in sparring with both Yoshi and Rei. The twins attacked simultaneously, getting knocked back by intense kicks. The tiger coughed slightly, then wiggled his fingers. “Is that all you got?”

“Tet,” Andy growled, “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

“I’m fine.” He shot her a smile as he blocked a strike behind him from Yoshi. He dropped to his knees, coughing as Rei got him in the chest with a punch.

“Fuck! You okay?” They crouched as Tet waved a hand.

“It’s.. fine..” He gasped, trying to stop the coughs.

“ _ This  _ is why you need to be resting. Just because Akasa let you out of the infirmary doesn’t mean you’re free to do whatever you want. You’re not a trained medic, and until you become one, you have to listen to us about your health,” Andy said with anger in her voice.

“Oh boy..you made her mad.” Rei whispered.

Tet finally stopped coughing, turning a charming smile on Andy. “Darlin, I’m fine. A little winded is all.” 

“You want to get sick again? Fine, don’t listen to me. It’s not like I went to school for eight years for this kind of thing. I’ll see you when you end up back in the infirmary,” she headed out the door.

Tet got to his feet, following her. “I’m sorry, okay? I needed to let off some steam. Woke up and you were gone. Heard something about vampires from Hitoshi and kinda freaked.” He grabbed her arm. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

Andy sighed, “Yeah vamps took Akira and Taka so we had to go rescue them.”

“Are they alright? Why them?” Tet fought a feeling of panic.

“I don’t know why, but yeah they’re fine.”

He took a deep breath, then started coughing again. “Dammit..”

“You should probably get to bed but I won’t force you.”

“Will you come with me? The hall won’t stay still.”

She took his arm and led him down to her room, tucking him into bed before sitting beside him.

“I didn’t mean to piss you off. I just woke up from a nightmare and you were gone.. I couldn’t stay laying down.” He said sleepily, blinking at her.

“It’s alright, I’m sorry I got mad.”

“I was being stupid. I know I’m sick..” He shook his head. “I was almost expecting you to smack me with a paw.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “You haven’t pissed me off that bad yet.”

“Good to know…” The words turned into a snore.

Andy sat and watched him for a while, occasionally running a hand through his hair. She eventually leaned back and drifted off herself, tired from the days events.


	22. Chapter 22

_ “Uh...Andy?” _ Ryusei’s voice spoke in her head.

_ “Hmm?” _

_ “There’s a situation at the school..” _

_ “What kind of situation?” _

_ “A really pissed off white wolf is tearing through campus.. No idea who or why.” _

_ “Be right there.”  _ She went to find Tet or Kiba.

“What’s wrong?” They were breathing heavy, emerging from the gym.

“Ryusei says there’s a wolf on campus..”

“Not unusual. Half the students are shifters.” Kiba wiped his face with a towel.

“It’s apparently  _ tearing through  _ campus. Are there any good ways to catch a wolf?”

“Alive?” Tet frowned for a minute. “There’s traps or tranquilizers with silver nitrate. But there aren’t any that result in a healthy wolf.”

“I just don’t want to go killing a student if it is a shifter, you know?”

“The tranqs won’t kill, just sedate and leave them nauseous as hell for a few hours.” Kiba grimaced. “Probably safer than a trap. Those can go wrong fast.” He showed Andy a set of scars on one leg.

“Alright, we’ll take the tranqs. You guys coming with me?”

“Would we let you face a pissed off wolf alone? Of course we’re coming.” Tet rolled his eyes.

“Just hope I don’t have to fight them.” Kiba sighed, tossing his towel in the laundry basket.

_ “ANDY! Where are--” _ The question cut off with a cry.

“Ryusei’s in trouble, let’s hurry.” She went and grabbed the tranquilizers before teleporting them to the school.

A huge wolf, its muzzle bloodstained, growled menacingly at them from where it stood over a prone Ryusei. It let out a howl of anger, then prepared to jump for Andy’s throat.

Andy shifted quickly into panther form, preparing to strike if it did jump. “ _ Shoot him with the tranq.” _

Tet and Kiba fired in unison, cursing as the wolf stayed on its feet. They reloaded, firing just as the wolf began flying at her.

It jerked, four darts in its chest. Slowly it collapsed onto Andy and lay still.

“You okay?” The men ran over worriedly as the wolf began to revert.

“I’m fine,” she answered as she pulled herself out to look at him.

Loose red hair obscured the man’s face, but the shirt advertising a familiar DJ made her freeze.

She brushed his hair from his face and worked on removing the darts.

“Is that --?” Tet went pale as Kiba cursed explosively.

“Since when is he a wolf? What  _ the fuck _ is going on?”

“He might have been given another shift at some point and not known it.. I wouldn’t have known about my other two if I hadn’t read the Branch reports.”

Kiba’s eyes moved to Ryusei. “Oh god..”

Andy took a deep breath, lifting Ryon before moving to Ryusei. She teleported them all back to base, arriving in the infirmary. She got the two men into beds before starting to work on cleaning up Ryusei.

Tet paced. “He’s going to freak when he wakes. Attacking Ryusei will screw him up.”

“Maybe he won’t remember?”

“If it wasn’t a conscious shift, there’s a good chance he won’t. Hopefully anyway.” Kiba frowned as he leaned against the wall.

Ryon groaned, holding his head as his eyes blinked open. “What am I doing here?”

Tet grimaced as Kiba shrugged.

“How are you feeling?” Andy asked softly.

“Like I ate bad Chinese..” He looked miserable. He glanced over, seeing Ryusei for the first time. “What happened to him?”

“He’ll be fine,” Andy answered quietly.

He lay back, slightly green looking.

Andy went and grabbed a bucket in case he threw up. 

Kiba sighed, motioning her over. “I’m going to get the security footage. See what if anything triggered this. Can you keep him here?”

“I’ll try, but I’m going to have to tell him what happened.”

“Just say they got in the way of someone’s shift. Don’t tell him everything until we can figure out what the hell happened.” Tet looked at her.

“I can’t just lie to him,” Andy growled. “Figure it out before he feels better, okay?”

“It’s not  _ technically _ lying.. And I intend to.” The two men headed for the door.

“What are you hiding from me?” Ryon gave her a look.

“I promise we’ll talk about it when you’re feeling better. Just rest for now, okay?”

“You’re starting to sound like Kei when I woke up in the hospital after..” He sighed and dropped his eyes. “Betting I won’t like this anymore than I did that.”

“Want to tell me what happened?” She said gently as she wrapped her arms around him, “Don’t worry, okay?”

“When we were eight, we were coming to visit Kei at his base with our parents. A semi crossed the yellow line.. I woke up three days later.”

“That must have been really rough,” she said softly.

“Yeah, especially since the doctors weren’t sure Yamae would survive. After that, Kei took care of us until he disappeared when we were starting high school.” Ryon leaned into her hug. “So much has happened lately.. Did I pass out at school?”

“I promise you I’ll tell you everything that happened, but the guys are working on getting more details right now. Everyone is fine though so don’t worry right now,” she ran a hand through his hair.

“Alright..” He nodded sleepily, his eyes blinking slowly.

“Get some rest,” Andy laid him back and tucked the blanket around him before kissing his forehead.

He gave a soft chuckle, drifting off.

“Andy?” Tet was back, a grim look on his face.

“What did you find?”

“Footage shows he received a phone call seconds before he shifted. I think someone programmed an unconscious shift when certain words are spoken. Also, there were other minor injuries, but it looks like he purposefully went after Ryusei..” 

Andy nodded. “Keep an eye on him for a few, I’ll be back.” She went and scanned through her books for any information on helping control shifts. She then went to Kei to see if he knew of any.

He looked thoughtful. “Shifts are usually deliberate, though they tend to happen when one of them is wounded or stressed. What you’ve described is like a subliminal switch, something programmed to happen in certain situations.” He flipped through the spellbook, then nodded.

He pulled out a charm necklace and handed it to her. “This should block the effects.”

“So basically he has to always wear it or he could be forced to shift again..”

“If you can find the person who did it, their control can be broken permanently. But for now..”

“Thank you. I’ll see if I can come up with anything else to help,” Andy gave a small smile.

“I should be the one saying thank you.” 

Andy shook her head, “I’m going to go see if he’s awake yet.” She headed to the infirmary.

The door opened into chaos. Kiba and Tet were trying to hold down a frantic Ryon as he tried to escape.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Andy wondered. She moved in to where Ryon was and hugged him, “It’s okay.”

“I almost killed him!”

Kiba growled, explaining “We stepped out for five to talk to Boss. He apparently woke up and accessed the security footage on his phone. Came back to find him attempting to run.” He glared at the redhead.

Andy took a deep breath, “Ryon, remember when I was under Branch’s control and I killed Yamae? You guys never blamed me for that, just like we don’t blame you for this. Someone triggered this shift and caused you to go a bit crazy. It’s not your fault.” She ran a hand through his hair trying to calm him. She slipped the necklace on him, “Until we find a better solution, this will help prevent them from triggering it again.”

He stilled, his eyes teary. “I remember being so angry, like when Branch tried to bribe us to release you.. I saw nothing but an enemy to destroy..”

“It’s alright. They caused this, not you. We are going to find them and end this. It just might take us a bit of time. But I promise we’ll fix this and you’ll control your shift, if you even want to use it.”

He chuckled ruefully. “Always wanted a fur coat.. Scales aren’t the warmest thing in the winter.”

Andy gave him a small smile, “You are right about that.” She gave him a final squeeze before pulling away, “You know I’m always here if you want to talk, so please if you need to talk about this more, we can.”

He nodded, then tensed as Ryusei muttered “When I get my hands on that wolf, I’m going to kick its ass…”

Andy looked at Ryon, “He doesn’t know yet. You know he won’t blame you once he knows.” She approached Ryusei, “We need to talk about that..”

He cocked his head. “Don’t tell me. It was one of the underclassmen jilted by his girlfriend?”

“It’s someone who was forced to shift by a subliminal trigger...” She then quietly added, “It was Ryon.”

Ryusei stared at Ryon, who shrank back nervously. “Sonofabitch… Those  _ bastards _ ..”

“We’re working on finding who exactly did this, but we have something that should prevent him from getting triggered again.”

“Start by looking for this bastard.” He pulled up a photo on his phone. “Branch whiz kid. Gaelian McRae, specialized in hypnotic and subliminal messaging. Disappeared three years ago.”

“That’s one of the guys I was investigating when I got framed.” Tet scowled.

Andy gave a small smirk, “Know what he looks like so I can find him. Now we just need a plan unless you want to go with my usual teleport and start shooting.”

“That’s the most direct route. I vote yes.” Kiba shrugged as the door opened.

“Anyone talk to our Frenchie in the last 24 hours?” Yoshi looked annoyed.

Andy frowned, “Now that you mention it I don’t think he showed up for breakfast.”

“He’s not answering his cell and his bike was found abandoned a mile from base. Cops called me because they were going to impound it until they ran the plate.”

Andy took a deep breath, “Okay, first mission: take out this asshole. Second mission: find or rescue Kenji.”

“Let’s quit talking then.” Tet cocked his pistol, then holstered it and looked at Kiba. “You stay here. This is Branch related, so Boss needs to know and security needs to be strengthened. I’ll go with her and step on this cockroach.”

Andy checked her pistol before grabbing Tet’s arm. “Be back soon.” She focused on the man’s face and said the teleportation spell.

They appeared outside a warehouse. 

“Did you enjoy my demonstration?” A voice asked mockingly.

“What was your point?” Andy growled.

“To show you that you aren’t as safe as you think. Just because the higher ups are gone doesn’t mean we are.” A tall black haired man grinned at her as he appeared in the doorway.

Andy grabbed her gun and pointed it at him, “We’ll take all of you out if we have to.” She fully aimed and got ready to shoot him.

He laughed. “Take your best shot..”

Andy fired quickly.

He fell backwards. But almost as quickly he was back on his feet. “Nice..”

Andy growled and started muttering a killing spell as she shot at him again.

Suddenly she felt her throat close as he laughed again, then snapped his fingers.

Kenji jerkily walked toward them, his eyes blank. Blood was visible on his t-shirt.

Tet gasped “What the hell did you do?”

McRae shrugged. “Merely made him a puppet. Just like you.” He muttered a string of words, then cockily watched Andy’s reaction.

Tet turned, his eyes glittering as he began to shift. He snarled, baring his fangs as claws aimed at Andy’s chest.

Andy growled, shifting into panther form so she could better fight him.  _ “Snap out of this.” _

Tet lunged at her, teeth snapping at her neck.

She managed to push him away, managing to avoid most of the claws.

He let out a roar, his body preparing to charge.

Andy prepared to jump at him as she tried to figure out what she could do. 

She was suddenly flipped onto her back, Kenji’s blank face above her as he held her still.

Tet stalked toward her, licking his fangs as he roared again.

Andy pushed up, knocking Kenji over. She moved quickly, trying to bite gently to get enough blood from him to knock him out.

He stiffened for a moment, then slumped to the ground as McRae let out an angry yell.

Andy quickly turned back toward Tet, pouncing at him.

He growled, slashing at her rapidly as he tried to regain his feet.

She winced as claws made contact. She tried to push him onto his back so she could bite him like she had Kenji.

He fought desperately, roaring in rage.

She knew getting to his neck would put him in range of hers, but she finally pushed him back, biting into him.

The roars slowly turned into whimpers, then stopped completely. He lay still, his fur blowing in the breeze.

McRae’s voice was impressed. “Even better than the tests reported.”

Andy turned toward him as she growled.

“Now, why don’t you shift back so we can discuss terms.”

She pounced at him quickly, trying to rip him apart with her claws.

He scowled, then backhanded her. “Do I have to do it the hard way? It will be much worse for you and those other escaped subjects.” He produced a cell phone, thumb on the number pad.

Andy growled again before shifting into a snake, slithering up and wrapping herself around his neck.

He shrugged, pushing one of the numbers and the send key. Then he began to pull her off. “You still haven’t gotten it yet. I’m you. Only stronger.”

Andy hissed at him, trying to bite him.

He began to laugh until her fangs made contact. He knocked her away as his face contorted in fear.

Andy slithered back onto him, trying to get a good place to bite.

He tried to push her away, growing more panicked.

She managed to get on top of him, then shifted into panther form and knocked him over.

He screamed in fury then began to mutter quickly.

Andy bit into him, trying to drain him before he could finish his words.

He thrashed violently, then began to slow as his eyes glazed.

Andy finally moved off of him, reverting back to human form. She noticed the scratches from Tet were bleeding through her uniform. Shaking her head, she moved Kenji and Tet before teleporting them to the infirmary.

“What the fuck! Andy, what the hell happened?” Akasa was frantic.

“They got controlled so they fought me. They both need transfusions because I had to bite them...”

“Yoshi, get me the eta of that blood truck! We need it  _ now _ !” The nurse was bloodstained, his face haggard as he yelled into the radio.

“What happened here?” Andy asked.

“My question for you. Ryon and Yamae were talking, then they both started hemorrhaging. Five seconds later, half the team is bleeding out. Not sure how many are past saving yet.”

Andy growled, “That bastard.”

Yoshi raced in, two coolers in his hands. “It’s here.” He handed them over, his face pale. As Akasa took them and disappeared, he swayed. A slow trickle of blood escaped his lips as he winced.

“Are you alright?” Andy asked softly.

“Feel like someone’s using my heart as a squeeze ball..” He coughed, more blood spattering his hand.

Andy went to him and said a couple spells to try to help before she went about setting up transfusions for Tet and Kenji.

Akasa returned, his face downcast. He threw the radio across the room in a fit of rage.

“What’s wrong?”

“What good am I? I haven’t been able to save anyone..” He sat down, his head in his hands.

Andy crouched to his level, groaning lightly when it moved her wounds. “You help save us all the time. This is a difficult case, so it’s understandable that you can’t save everyone, but I know you can do it. I’ll finish trying to heal what I can before I start reviving people. You just take a few minutes to get yourself back in gear.”

He took a deep breath, then nodded.

Andy spent the next while working on trying to heal up the hemorrhaging issues, giving them transfusions as needed. Finally, she took a moment to check on Tet and Kenji to see how they were doing before she was going to start reviving those who needed it.

Kenji’s eyes were still blank, staring up at the ceiling. Everything else checked out, his wounds healed. He didn’t respond to questions, remaining motionless.

Tet was unconscious, but otherwise fine. 

Andy tried to use the spell that broke vampires control to see if it would work on fixing Kenji.

Nothing happened.

She tried to think of other things to help, finally deciding to try using her revival power to heal him like she’d done once or twice in the past. She hoped pushing the energy into him might help with whatever the problem was. She focused her energy and a light surrounded him.

His eyes cleared, blinking rapidly in terror. 

“Hey, it’s alright. You’re safe now.”

“He--He said he was going to use me to kill you.. He stabbed me and I could feel myself disappearing..” The Frenchman was on the brink of a panic attack.

“Take slow deep breaths, okay? He’s gone now.”

“Did I hurt anyone?”

“We had a slight fight but then I bit you to knock you out..”

“Thank god.” He lost consciousness.

Andy took a deep breath, looking down and noticing her uniform was now fully soaked in blood but she was unsure how much of it was hers and how much was from the others. She went and started reviving the others one by one.

Akasa approached her, looking concerned. “You’re hurt. You need to let me look at you.”

A small explosion shook the lab next door and he face palmed. “I  _ am not _ healing him  _ again _ .”

Andy raised an eyebrow.

“Kei’s working on one of his potions. This is the fifth time something’s exploded. Had to heal him yesterday when half the test tubes shattered in his face.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “I thought potion making was his specialty? Shouldn’t things not explode if he knows what he’s doing?” She sighed, “Let me finish reviving everyone then you can look me over, okay?”

Akasa chuckled. “I asked him the same question. He said this was a tricky potion to enspell. Something about being a trump card for you if something happened.”

Andy raised an eyebrow again, “Wonder what it is.” She sighed before going back to reviving. By the time she was done, she was shaking.

“Dammit, Andy.” Akasa helped her to a bed, starting to mutter spells.

She laid back, closing her eyes for a moment as she started to slightly relax.

When he was done muttering, he gently cleaned her up. He handed her a fresh uniform when he finished. He began to sit down, but another explosion rattled the chair. “Maybe I should knock him out before he blows us all up..” 

Andy chuckled softly before saying, “Thank you for healing me.”

He gave her a smile. “Just doing my job. Thank  _ you _ for helping me not lose it completely.”

Andy gave a small smile, “Our jobs are hard enough as is, adding magic to it adds a lot more stress.”

“Huh..didn’t notice..” He snarked tiredly.

Andy went and changed before sitting in the chair next to Tet. She curled up and started dozing off.

The next morning, a grief stricken voice roused her.

“You said she revived him! What happened?”

“Quiet, Yamae..you’re going to wake her.Just calm down.” Kei’s voice was soft and tired.

Akasa sounded just as tired. “I watched her. She made sure you both were breathing before I had to patch her up. She needs to rest.”

“Go to hell.” A tinkle of bells sounded, then silence.

Andy stretched out and pushed herself out of the chair, “What’s wrong?”

Akasa’s shoulders slumped as he faced her. “Ryon died sometime during the night. No physical reason. He was stable and sleeping at three am when I last checked. This morning…”

Andy frowned. She went to Ryon’s side and tried reviving him, pushing energy into him as the gold light appeared.

The light died away, his face staying pale.

Andy frowned, trying to think of a way to bring him back. She remembered Tet almost dying because he gave up, so she wondered if this was also some kind of psychological issue. She focused on him, trying to bring him back to talk to her like she had her father.

A shimmery form materialized in front of her, the face taking on Ryon’s. “Andy?”

“Yeah it’s me.”

“Why am I here?”

“You tell me. Why are you not wanting to revive?”

He sighed, lowering his eyes. “I hurt people. I’m too dangerous.”

“You only hurt people because they made you. He’s gone now, he can’t do that to you again.”

“What if I lose control on my own? What if next time I kill someone? What if I kill you? I won’t risk it..” The form began to dissipate.

Andy focused, strengthening his form again, “Don’t go, I’m not done with you yet.” She took a deep breath, “If you’re too afraid of your power, you’re more likely to lose control. You need to practice and shift on your own terms. I promise to be there for you to help you if you lose control.” She sighed, “When I found out everything Branch had done to me, I tried to give up shifting and drinking blood. I wanted to be nothing they made me to be. But it was pointed out that if I didn’t use those powers, I could be putting others at risk. Using my shifts has saved a lot of people. What if your shift is meant to save someone but you aren’t there to do it?”

He frowned, his eyes lifting to hers. “Why are you trying so hard? I’m just a single person. I don’t make much difference.”

“You make a difference to us. We all care about you. Even if you were to do nothing but be you, we would want you back. We all love you, Ryon. We’re a family.”

“Are you really willing to leave us? You know how hard Yamae takes things. Are you okay with doing this to him?” Kei asked, holding back tears. “I just found you.. I can’t lose you again.”

Ryon’s lips trembled. “I don’t want to hurt you guys…”

“I don’t think you’ll hurt us, but we’d rather live with the risk of you hurting us than living without you,” Andy answered.

Ryon took a deep breath, then nodded. “Help me?”

“Of course.” Andy looked back at his body and focused, gold light appearing once more.

The shimmering form vanished as Ryon’s eyes blinked open.

Kei whispered ‘thank you’ to her before going to his side.

Andy went back over to the chair by Tet, curling back up in it and watching him sleep.

His eyes flew open and he shot up, eyes frantically scanning the room.

“It’s alright, everyone’s okay.”

“I attacked you…” He curled into a ball as he began to shake.

“It’s okay, you weren’t in control. And I’m alright.”

He shook his head. “What I was afraid of…”

“Tet, look at me. I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.”

He refused to meet her eyes, burying his head in the pillow.

Andy ran a hand through his hair, “I love you, I don’t blame you, and you have nothing to worry about. That guy’s been taken care of so he can’t control you again.”

He clasped her hand. “Still sorry.”

A rush of air heralded Kai, his hand wrapped around Yamae’s neck. “Someone want to explain why this idiot tried to jump off the top of Headquarters?”

Andy sighed, “Long story..”

“Let me go, damn you!” Yamae twisted in an attempt to get free. His eyes were puffy and tears streaked his cheeks.

“Yamae, Ryon is fine. Please calm down,” she said gently.

He froze, his eyes locked on her. “He’s not..?”

“You aggravating moron.. I’m going to have Kei freeze you so I can smack you until I get tired.” Ryon sat up with an annoyed look.

Yamae tore away from Kai with a cry, racing to his twin’s side and hugging him.

Andy watched with a smile.

Kai glanced at her. “Seen Boss? I’m requesting a damn transfer to somewhere peaceful.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “If you find anywhere peaceful, let me know.”

He gazed around the room with a smile. “This is the most peaceful place I know.”

Andy yawned, “If we were on a day off maybe, but if not it’s exhausting.” She smiled softly.

“There’s no backstabbing or trying to ruin reputations to get ahead here.” He scowled. “I hate headquarters. Wasn’t kidding about the transfer.”

“Well, we’re always open to more people,” Andy grinned.

“Sweet talk Boss?” His grey eyes twinkled.

“I’m sure he won’t say no if you ask him,” Andy chuckled.

“I’m still not sure why he sent me there anyway..”

“You were my quick getaway.” Tsukasa snarked as he entered. “But if you hate it that much, you can come back.”

Kai grinned and vanished, reappearing seconds later with his duffle.

“Find a place to bunk. We’ve gotten a few new people.”

The porter nodded and stuck his tongue out at Yamae before leaving.

“How’s everything?” Tsukasa watched her carefully.

She nodded, “Alright. Everyone’s alive so that’s good.”

“I won’t ask about mental status cause we’re all crazy to be in this outfit.”

“I take offense to that. I’m perfectly sane.” Akasa said solemnly. He held the look for about five seconds, then cracked up laughing.

Andy smiled before looking back at Tet, “Want to go nap in my room? I’m still tired.”

He gave her a wan smile. “I guess..”

She held her hand out to him.

He took it silently, his face pensive.

She kissed his cheek, “Smile. We’re all alive.”

His lips quirked upwards and he squeezed her hand.

They got to her room and she quickly climbed into bed, stretching out before settling in. 

He sat beside her, running a hand through her hair with a sad smile.

“I love you. Promise you aren’t going to leave or do something stupid?”

“I promise. Go to sleep.” He chuckled softly.

She soon drifted off.


	23. Chapter 23

“Andy, get up and get packed. You’re coming with us.” Rei knocked on the door.

Andy opened the door, “Where are we going?”

“Hospital. We found  _ him _ .” Rei gave her a small smile. “He’s alive.”

She stared at him for a moment, slightly afraid to get her hopes up, “You’re serious? He’s really alive?” 

“Serious as a heart attack. The hospital finally called Boss after finding his number.” Rei put a hand on her shoulder. “I am going to tell you he’s hurt bad. That’s all they would say.”

She frowned before taking a deep breath, “Alright. Let’s go.”

He nodded, showing her a scribbled address as Kiba ran up. “Sorry I’m late. Boss wanted to brief me.”

Andy nodded, “Let’s go get him.” She teleported them to the address.

Rei quickly headed for the nurse’s desk.

Kiba took several deep breaths, running a hand through his hair shakily.

“I can’t believe we finally get him back,” Andy said quietly.

“I almost don’t want to get my hopes up..” Kiba’s voice was strained.

Andy squeezed his hand gently, “We’ll get through this no matter what happens. Somehow we’ve managed to survive this long without him, now we have a chance.”

He nodded slowly as Rei waved them toward the hall. He led them to a room, pausing to look at them gravely. “Got his condition. Serious but stable. Andy, they found him severely beaten and shot in the head. He just got out of ICU. He’s in a coma, has been since he arrived. No ID, that’s why they didn’t contact us sooner.”

Andy closed her eyes and took in the information. “I’ll see what I can do to help him.”

“I know.” He slid the door open for her.

She looked at Kiba for a moment before finally going into the room and moving to the side of the bed.

Tet’s head was wrapped in gauze,covered in cuts and dark bruises. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth. He was bare chested, swaddled in more gauze over his ribs and abdomen. She could see numerous stitches, including one set from where a chest tube had been removed.

The monitors beeped reassuringly.

Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him. She’d spent the last few months crying and worrying about him after he went missing, but she never expected to find him in this bad of shape. 

After a minute, she wiped at her eyes before starting to recite spells. Different colored lights surrounded him as they focused on different injuries. A few hours went by as she worked. Finally, she moved to the chair and just stared at him.

A few minutes later, his eyes were watching her.

“Tet?” She said softly.

His forehead creased as he gave her a confused look. He pulled the mask off, his voice rough. “Who is Tet?”

Andy’s eyes widened and she looked over at Kiba in panic.

He slowly approached the bed. “Bad joke you oversized rug.”

Tet raised an eyebrow. “Oversized rug? What does that mean?”

Andy composed herself, her doctor side kicking in, “You were badly injured and it seems you have some memory loss. Your name is Tetsuya, your friends call you Tet.”

He frowned, then nodded. “Are you my doctor?”

She took a deep breath, “I am a doctor, yes. But I’m one of your friends too.”

Kiba grabbed him. “Knock it off, Tet! Stop scaring her.”

“Kiba, he took heavy damage to his head, it’s not out of the question to have memory loss.. If you can’t stay calm, go in the hall.”

He slowly released his hold, his face dropping. He slid the door open and disappeared.

“I’m guessing he’s a friend too?” Tet was quiet.

“Yeah. He and I are closest to you, and it’s been hard on us because you’ve been gone for a while. I know this is all a lot to take in right now, but I’m here to help you fill in any blanks.” She paused and looked at Rei, “Call Akasa and see if the books have any spells to help with this kind of thing.”

He nodded. “I’ll see if Kei can help as well.” He left the room as he dialed.

“I’m going to take a wild leap and say I’m well liked in my life?” Tet slowly sat up and folded his hands.

“Definitely. We’re part of a team who has become like a family and all of them have been worried about you.”

“Team..” He frowned. “Am I a police officer or something?”

“You’re a soldier in a special military squad.”

His eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“I’d never lie to you,” she gave him a small smile.

“I don’t know why, but I believe that completely. You feel familiar.”

“I’m glad.” She looked thoughtful, “My name is Andy, by the way.”

His eyes softened. “I have the sudden urge to call you darlin..”

She smiled softly, “That’s what you call me.”

He looked thoughtful. “We’re more than friends aren’t we?”

“Yeah. We’re also more than friends with Kiba, the one that yelled.”

He absorbed the information in silence.

The door slid open, Rei cursing under his breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“Other than Kiba disappearing? How does a trio of Branch doctors asking questions at the front desk?”

Andy growled, “They are not coming anywhere near him.”

“Branch?” Tet’s eyes became panicked. “Why do I feel so terrified?”

“They’ve done a lot of bad things to us and our teammates,” Andy answered quickly. “But don’t worry, I’m not going to let them anywhere near you.” She looked at Rei, “Do you think it’d be bad to take him to the base?”

“It might jog his memory. And I think it would be safer.” Rei scowled as Kiba reappeared. “Where the hell did you go?”

“Had to get control of myself.” His voice was tight. “ _ Please _ say I didn’t see who I thought I saw heading this way..”

Andy cursed before looking at Tet, “Please, don’t panic, but I’m going to take you somewhere safer. We’re going to teleport so it’ll be like we just disappear here and reappear there.”

He gave her a slow smile. “Actually sounds fun.”

Rei chuckled. “That was your reaction the first time too.”

Andy grabbed onto Tet’s arm before making sure the others were there too before teleporting them all back to the infirmary. He was now in one of the infirmary beds, “Welcome to our base infirmary.”

Tet glanced around, then gave her a small smile. “I hate to say this, but this is  _ really _ familiar..”

Kiba started to laugh.

Andy chuckled, “You do spend quite a bit of time in here.”

Tet blushed. “Don’t know if I should apologize or not now.”

Andy smiled, “It’s alright, I think we all spend a lot of time here.”

Rei excused himself.

The infirmary shook as a small explosion was heard nearby, followed by a triumphant yell.

Tet raised an eyebrow as Kiba rolled his eyes. “Was that who I think it was?”

“Probably Kei making potions again,” Andy chuckled.

As if on cue, the witch entered with a wide smile. He held two capped vials in one hand as he dusted off his hat with the other.

“What potion are you making now?”

“I finished one actually. With no need to heal me this time.” He eyed Tet quietly. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

Tet just nodded quietly.

Kei presented her with both vials. “Green for him, blue for you. Don’t touch yours. For severe cases only.”

She raised an eyebrow but nodded, “Will the green one help his memories?”

“Hopefully. At the least, it might jog some loose.” He plunked the hat down on his head, adjusting it. “You like?”

She smiled and nodded before turning to Tet and handing him the green vial. “Take this.”

Tet gave her a skeptical glance, then downed it. Seconds later, he grabbed his head with a cry.

“Tet, what’s wrong?” She put a hand on his shoulder.

“Have to protect the team…. Can’t let them get hurt anymore….” He squeezed his eyes shut.

She wrapped her arms around him and ran a hand through his hair, “The team is safe. You’re safe.”

“No, we’re not..that’s why Branch came to the hospital… they wanted to keep me from talking..” He turned panicked eyes to her. 

“What’s going on, Tet?”

“Branch is trying to wipe us… make us their puppets. I found out while on the other mission.. I tried to get away..”

“It’s alright, we’ll take care of everything.” She looked at Kiba, “Go tell Tsukasa.”

“Roger.” He took off at a run as Tet attempted to get out of bed.

“You need to rest,” Andy pushed him back.

“I  _ need _ you guys safe. Branch is more determined than ever.. I saw them kill a shifter and then try to bring him back with their new necro… he couldn’t do it. They were really happy…”

Andy froze, “They have a necromancer?”

“It’s a kid too.. Well a teen to tell the truth..” Tet scowled. “I overheard them. They said either we would be under their control or finally dead where you couldn’t help us..”

Andy sighed, “We’ll figure this out and take care of it.”

Tsukasa strode in, his face grim. “Dammit Tet, can you  _ not _ bring disaster every time you’re found?”

“What’s your plan?” Andy asked him quietly.

“To be perfectly fucking honest.. I don’t have one. This machine scares the shit out of me..” The dragon looked lost for the first time since she’d known him.

Andy sighed, “Well, we have to go destroy Branch, again. And make sure the bodies are burnt to dust so they can’t be brought back. So maybe send a team to do that while the others defend the base?”

Tsukasa took a deep breath. “Who should we send?”

“I’ll go. Send whoever volunteers. I feel this will be a worse battle than usual.”

He nodded, leaving silently.

“I’m coming..” Tet pushed himself up.

“Didn’t I just tell you that you need to rest?” 

Kei muttered a spell and Tet went limp. “Idiot. I’m coming.” He pulled the blanket up, then turned to Andy. “He’ll sleep for awhile. Let us take care of business.”

Andy nodded as she looked at Tet, “We just got him back, I don’t want to lose him again.”

Kei gave a small smile as Ryon entered, double checking a large pistol. “I’m ready. The others are almost.”

A minute later, Jade, Leo, and Kenji came in. “Boss told us Branch has a machine to fuck with us now?”

She nodded, “I’m betting this won’t be easy so make sure you’re 100% ready for this.”

“We were born ready.” Jade said, his eyes serious.

She took another deep breath, “Alright. Let’s go then.” She prepared to teleport. 

Ryon grabbed the others and vanished.

She teleported as well, surveying the area they arrived in.

It appeared to be a combat hospital, surgical tables on one side, recovery beds on the other. There was a machine in the corner that looked like a cross between an xray and a laser microscope.

“Think that’s it?” Leo nudged her as the men huddled beside.

“Maybe. Work on destroying it anyway.”

“Yes ma’am.” He and the other two began cutting wires and attaching charges as Kei and Ryon scanned the area. 

“I figured we’d have run into people by now..”

“Yeah.. it’s too quiet.” Kei stood slowly. A second later, he yelled and flew back. There was an audible snap as his head hit the wall and he slid down limp.

“KEI!!!” Ryon screamed, shifting into his wolf form and lunging at the man who had entered.

The man shook his head. “We want you.” He dropped the glowing glove and shot the shifter with several darts.

Ryon gave a yelp, then crashed to the ground unconscious.

Andy growled, pouncing at the man and knocking him to the ground, biting into him quickly. When she was done with him she looked up for more enemies.

Five more men with gloves were coming in another door, aiming and firing at the three soldiers at the machine.

Jade screamed, dropping to the floor as the black light hit him. Kenji and Leo grabbed him, trying to shield as the men surrounded them. The men raised the gloves, preparing to fire.

Andy growled again before muttering a killing spell. Three of the men went down and she jumped toward the other two to take them out. 

One turned toward her as the other fired, the black light enveloping the other men.

She shot at him, taking him down before firing at the other one. She quickly grabbed her teammates and teleported them back to the infirmary. She checked Ryon first, finding him okay just unconscious, then the others. 

All of them were dead, drained of all energy. Kei had a fractured skull, but the others were just empty.

Andy healed the fracture before focusing on all of them, trying to bring them back to life. The gold light surrounded them and she watched with hope. 

Nothing happened except the light flared and fizzled out.

Andy froze, trying once more with the same results. Tears filled her eyes as she realized the gloves were the devices that kill people so necromancers can’t bring them back. She headed out of the infirmary to try to get herself together. 

The base was a wreck. There were bodies huddled together in piles, a few sprawled separately. No one was moving.

Andy moved them all into beds in the infirmary, finally moving to cots when the beds were all full. She checked them over before focusing, praying they weren’t shot with the gloves.

Kai and Shouma began breathing.

She stared at the rest of them, trying not to cry. 

She looked over at Tet, fear racing through her as she went to check on him. After finding no pulse, she tried to revive him with no result. Tears started streaking her face, stepping back from him slowly.

She realized some of the others were still missing so she left the infirmary to check the base. She was trying not to get lost in sobs as she walked. 

Suddenly Kiba came into view, slumped over another body.

She raced toward him, moving him off to reveal Ryusei. She sobbed at the thought of them not reviving, but she finally carried them to the infirmary. She tried to revive them but again, nothing happened. 

She finally lost the battle against her sobs, falling onto a chair as she cried. She lost track of time, feeling hopeless for once. She knew at least Tsukasa was missing, so there was still a bit of hope for him, but she doubted her ability to get him out alive. 

She slipped her hands in her pockets as she was going to leave the infirmary, unable to keep looking at her friends. Her hand bumped into a vial and she remembered the potion Kei had given her. She had no idea what it was for but the thought to use it on them crossed her mind. She went to Kei first, dripping a few drops into his mouth and waiting. 

He sucked in a large breath, his eyes fluttering open. “Andy? What happened?”

“Oh my god..” she stared at him in disbelief.

He glanced at the vial, then at her. “That bad huh?”

He could see her eyes were puffy from crying, “Almost everyone died and aren’t reviving, so I tried this..” She moved away from him and started administering it to the others who were dead. 

He sat up with a wince. “Glad I made it then.”

“Me too. Thank you,” she said as she watched the others. 

The witch sat watching for a minute, then scowled. “Where’s Tsukasa?”

“I haven’t found him yet. I’m going to go get him though.”

“Need a hand?”

“Finding him should be easy as long as they don’t have something to block porting. It’s getting out safe that I’m worried about.” She sighed. “I’ll try to find him, and if I’m not back in an hour then you guys can come after us.” She handed him the vial, “Keep this safe, just in case.”

He nodded reluctantly, holding the vial. “Be careful.”

“I’ll try,” she focused before teleporting to Tsukasa’s location. She quickly looked around to analyze the situation.

There was a trio of scientists huddled together in a small lab. They gave no sign of noticing her.

Tsukasa lay on a table, barely breathing. An IV was hooked to him, a purple liquid flowing freely.

A twin to the machine she’d seen was positioned above his head. 

Andy growled, jumping at the scientists and biting into one of them.

He screamed, the other two backing away in panic.

After draining him of his blood, she turned on them, shifting and ripping into them with her claws. She then reverted and unhooked the IV, starting to check him over.

His heartbeat was slow and erratic, his eyes barely reacting.

She used a few spells to try to stabilize him before teleporting him back to the infirmary. She laid him on a cot and continued to monitor him for a few minutes.

“I was about to come after you.” Kei gave a relieved smile before looking at the dragon. “He looks like shit.”

She nodded, “I’m not sure what they were giving him.” She paced as she tried to come up with a plan.

Kei checked Tsukasa over with a frown. “What color was it?”

“Purple.”

Kei’s eyes went wide and he ran for the lab.

She raised an eyebrow but continued to watch Tsukasa as she paced.

The witch returned, quickly injecting the dragon with a yellow liquid. After another minute, he sat down in relief. “That was close..”

“What was the purple liquid?”

“It’s used to cause near death experiences. It has a nasty side effect of damaging the person’s personality if too much is given.”

Andy nodded slowly. Finally she said, “I’ll be back I hope. If not, don’t put yourselves in danger looking for me.” 

Kei rolled his eyes. “You know that makes no difference right?”

“I don’t want you guys getting hurt.”

Kei chuckled. “Goes double for you. You shouldn’t go alone.”

She shrugged. “Well, I’m going to go try to take them down whether any of you follow me or not.”

She focused and teleported to the Branch location and started reciting the spell to rain down fireballs onto the building.

Kei appeared with a grin. “Two witches are better than one.” He began reciting as well.

Andy watched for people to leave the building, starting to say killing spells when she spotted them. Multiple fell, but as more progressed toward them, she shifted into a panther and ran at them.

Kei began his own spells, flashes of lights vaporizing the scientists until a security guard fired at him. He went down on his back momentarily, then sat up and vaporized the man. 

Andy ripped through multiple scientists with her claws and teeth, going at anyone she noticed. A large group exited the building and she ran at them, starting to take them out. She didn’t see someone pointing to fire at her until it was too late. The gloved man shot at her, pain spiking making her scream before everything went black.

Kei screamed, vaporizing the man in seconds. He scrambled to Andy’s side, reaching for a pulse with a shaking hand. He struggled to pull out the vial as he found none. Finally, he got it open, dribbling a small amount in her mouth. He held his breath, a silent prayer in his head.

She sucked in air, coming to consciousness slowly. She blinked her eyes open, looking at Kei in confusion for a moment before it clicked.

“Don’t do that again.” He stood and turned, beginning to recite a spell. Large boulders began to smash into the building. When it was nothing but rubble, he turned back to her. He was breathing heavily, the blood pulsing from the wound in his side. He gave her a small smile, then crumpled.

She pushed herself up and went to him, saying healing spells to close the wound. She turned and watched the fire continue and then started to throw the bodies she ripped apart into it so they would turn to ash. When she was done, she teleported Kei back to the infirmary and placed him back in bed.

“What happened to him?” Ryusei blinked slowly as he looked at her.

“He was shot. He’ll be alright though.”

Yamae came over, staring down. He frowned, looking closer at Kei’s neck. Then he paled, turning frightened eyes to her. “What was he doing before he collapsed?”

“Tearing down a building.. Why?”

“He’s an idiot..” The porter grimaced. “If you can’t tell, he’s an earth witch. Powerful as hell when he gets going, but there’s a drawback to his power. It’s symbiotic and when he takes a lot of it, the earth returns the favor and takes life force. This mark,” He showed her a twisting vine, “shows up when he’s close to dying.”

Andy frowned, “Well, let’s keep an eye on him.” She said a few more spells to try to help him before sitting down beside him.

Tsukasa groaned, holding his head as he sat up. He looked around and froze. “How? You were all dead…”

“They’re alive thanks to a potion Kei made.”

Tsukasa’s eyes widened. “Why do I get the feeling he’s almost as powerful as you are?”

“Well, without him the whole team would be dead, so he’s definitely powerful.”

“Andy! Tell me she’s alright!” Tet was yelling at Akasa, who was trying to keep him in bed. “They wanted to take her…”

“I’m fine,” Andy spoke up as she moved to his side. She pulled him in and kissed him hard.

He returned the kiss hungrily, his hands entwined in her hair. He relaxed as their lips touched.

When she pulled away, she whispered, “I’m so glad you’re alive. I thought I’d lost you again.”

He nodded, tears threatening to fall. “They told me what they were going to do to you. I went nuts until they shot me with some kind of beam. I was so afraid..

She hugged him tightly, “The whole team pretty much died and I could only revive a couple. I thought I’d lost everyone.. Thankfully Kei made a potion that helped. I don’t know what I would have done without you all.”

Tet took a deep breath, then kissed her again. “Where’s furball? Tell me he’s okay..”

“He’s over there,” she pointed to a cot. “He should be fine.”

“I really need to thank Kei then huh?” Tet wiped his eyes with a shaky grin.

“Yeah, he really saved us this time.”

There was the sound of breaking glass from the lab, then sobbing.

Andy entered the lab slowly.

Glass littered the floor from broken tubes. Yamae sat in the middle of it, sobbing as he slammed his hands into the floor. “It’s not here…” He ignored the shards digging through his pants, as well as the little cuts on his fingers.

“What are you looking for?”

“This happened once before. There’s a potion that will help. He swore to us he’d always have some on hand in case. But it’s NOT HERE!” The porter picked up some shards, squeezing his palm around it as he raged.

“Let me look through his book and I’ll see if I can find the recipe.”

Yamae waved his hand at the table. “Page 600.” He frowned as he looked down at his slashed hand.

She turned the pages to 600, reading the recipe over. “It doesn’t look too hard to make.”

“Tell that to him. Took ten tries before he got it right. Barely in time to save himself.” The porter huffed, wincing as he started to stand. 

Andy said a healing spell to help his hands, then started gathering ingredients.

Yamae gave her a sheepish grin, then went to sit beside Kei.

Andy worked on the potion, praying she was making it correctly. When it was finally done, she went out and gave some to Kei.

His color returned, the vine slowly fading.

Yamae gave a sigh of relief and looked at her gratefully.


	24. Chapter 24

Tsukasa paused in front of the infirmary. “Miss Hiroshi, you are going to meet our doctor first. She’s the biggest reason we’ve all survived this long.”

Etsuko nodded, “A team always needs a good doctor.”

Tsukasa chuckled. “Good is an understatement.” He pulled the door open to chaos.

Several beds were occupied, figures lying still.

“Andy, what the hell happened?”

“Vamp attack,” she said quickly before going back to muttering healing spells.

Etsuko looked around with a frown, “Do you have vampire attacks often?”

“Unfortunately, yes. They have a grudge against Andy and our squad leader.” Tsukasa sighed. “How bad?”

“Give me a little bit and everything should be okay.” 

Etsuko raised an eyebrow, “Some of these men are dead.”

“They won’t be for long,” Andy gave a small smile.

Tsukasa chuckled, remaining silent as Ryon walked in.

“They got in trouble again?” He brushed Yamae’s bangs back gently after looking at Kei.

“Yeah. They should be alright in a bit,” Andy said as she checked Kei over.

After finishing up healing everyone, she focused on the dead, gold light shining around them.

Etsuko watched in wonder, fainting when she noticed the men were now breathing.

Tsukasa caught her as she fell, giving Andy a grin. “Hope she doesn’t dock us points.”

Andy chuckled softly.

Etsuko blinked her eyes open slowly, confusion on her face until she remembered the revival. “How did you do that?” 

“I’m a necromancer,” Andy smiled.

“I didn’t know there were any alive,” Etsuko admitted.

“She’s the only one working for us.” Tsukasa helped Etsuko stand. “Evaluator Hiroshi, meet Andy Takimoto. Or as we call her Andy the Great and Powerful.” He gave Andy an impish grin as Ryon choked off a laugh.

“She’s better looking than Oz too.” Yamae cracked as he sat up.

Andy laughed and rolled her eyes. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Etsuko held out a hand. 

Andy shook it, “You too.”

Tsukasa sighed. “Try not to bribe her too much, okay? We just need a good report, not something making us saints. By the way, party tonight if nothing comes up.” He turned and left.

“Does he realize who he’s talking to?” Kei sat up and ran a hand through his hair before looking at Andy. “Sorry I got jumped.”

“It’s alright, I’m just glad you’re okay now,” she smiled. 

Etsuko pulled out a tablet and started taking notes.

Akasa came in from the lab. “Kei, why is one of your potions turning colors?”

The witch grinned. “Finally..Don’t worry, it’s not going to explode.”

“Famous last words.” Ryon said, dodging as Kei threw a pillow at him.

Andy chuckled and looked at Etsuko, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I do have some questions, if you don’t mind.”

“That’s fine. Let’s go to a different room.”

Andy led her to a small office.

“My country is trying to put together a squad like this,” Etsuko informed. “What are some of the biggest challenges?”

“If they’ll be fighting vampires and shifters, get a witch who can do healing spells because that is what I’m doing most of the time. It helps speed up recovery so they can get back into action quicker,” Andy looked thoughtful, “Most of our issues have been either personal attacks or problems with Branch.”

Etsuko nodded, “Is it hard to work with people who have different skills or powers?”

Andy shook her head, “It makes things more interesting but it’s not hard at all. We have porters, vamps, witches, and all kinds of shifters.”

“And you’re a witch and necromancer?”

“That’s what I was born. I’m also a vampire and shifter.”

Etsuko stared at her in amazement for a moment, “Is it hard to be so many things?”

Andy shook her head, “I still have some issues dealing with how I got turned into them, but it’s not hard to actually be them.”

Etsuko nodded as she tried to follow. “You’re the only female on base?”

Andy nodded.

“Is that challenging?”

“Not really. Sometimes I miss having other girls around but I’m really close with the guys. We’re all a big family.”

Etsuko smiled, “Care to show me around more?”

Andy grinned, “Of course. I’ll introduce you to some of the team.”

Andy headed out into the hallway and ended up going to the rec room to see if anyone was there.

Ryusei and Shouma were battling it out on the big screen, controllers in hand.

“Hey you cheated!” Shouma growled.

“All’s fair in love and war.” Ryusei chuckled. He grinned when he saw Andy, his eyes narrowing as he saw Etsuko.

“This is Ryusei, one of our porters, and Shouma, a shifter.” She looked at them, “This is Miss Hiroshi, she’s evaluating us. Don’t worry, she’s nice.”

Ryusei had tensed at the word evaluating, but he slowly relaxed and nodded. “Alright. Is lunch gonna be ready soon?”

Andy sighed, “I got caught up in the infirmary and totally forgot about it. I’ll go start on it now, okay?”

He chuckled. “Did you have to heal Kei  _ again _ ? Starting to doubt his expertise.”

“Yes I healed him, but it was a vamp attack,” Andy gave a small smile. “Everyone’s fine.”

His eyes darkened, but he just nodded and turned back to the tv.

Andy smiled at Etsuko, “Not only am I the doctor, I’m the cook too. I can show you around more after lunch but you can talk to the guys when they show up.”

Etsuko nodded and followed her to the kitchen. She watched as Andy prepared the food, “Is it hard to cook for this many people?”

“Sometimes it’s a challenge, especially when we get more members. I’ve had to ask for grocery budget raises a few times,” she chuckled.

After Andy was done, she filled up a plate and offered it to Etsuko who took it with a smile and “thanks.”

Andy filled her own plate then sat down.

“Hey darlin..” Tet slipped in beside her, kissing her cheek.

Andy looked him over, “What happened to you?”

“Didn’t duck fast enough. Hitoshi has a mean right.” He chuckled, then winced and held his jaw.

Andy rolled her eyes and said a healing spell for him.

He smiled softly as the wounds healed. “Who’s our guest?”

“Etsuko Hiroshi. She’s evaluating us.”

Etsuko gave him a friendly smile.

“Hello, I’m Tetsuya Kanamoto. I’m squad leader. Despite this,” He pointed to his face with a smile, “I’m good at my job..usually.”

She chuckled, “Nice to meet you. How do you like being squad leader?”

“Let’s see between the pranks and the fighting? I wonder how I haven’t had a crack up yet.” He laughed. “No, seriously I love my job. Most of the time.. She makes it better though.” He squeezed Andy’s hand, then stole her plate.

Andy rolled her eyes and went to get a new one. 

“Is it harder to lead a team with special abilities than a team of regular humans?”

“Harder? No. More interesting? Definitely. There are some missions only we can do.” He slid the plate back as he spoke. “Vampires are not something a regular team can do. Or rogue shifters and necromancers..” He sighed. “The biggest dangers have come from within the military honestly.”

Etsuko nodded as she ate.

Andy put a full plate in front of Tet before sitting back down.

He kissed her hand with a small smile before looking at Etsuko. “Watch out for scientists drunk with power.”

“I’ll try,” Etsuko answered. 

Andy looked at Tet, “Did you hear there’s a party tonight?”

He mock groaned. “So much for p.t. tomorrow..”

Andy chuckled, “The group needs a break. Maybe we should plan another beach day?”

“Sounds good to me.” He paused. “Ryusei’s not doing the beer run, is he? I can’t pay for bail again.”

“I don’t think he is, but if so hopefully he gets someone who actually believes his license.”

“You and me both.” He started laughing at Etsuko’s puzzled expression.

“Ryusei looks so young, he’s gotten arrested multiple times for buying alcohol, even though he’s old enough,” Andy informed.

“He is a mite touchy about the fact too..” Tet put a bite into her mouth with a grin.

Andy smiled.

“Did you two meet here?” Etsuko asked curiously.

“Not exactly. The team was stalking me,” Andy answered.

“We were not  _ stalking _ you. We were protecting you from a distance.” Tet gave her a hurt look.

“Well anyway, I got dragged into the world of magic because a necromancer was after me, and somehow I just stuck around and joined the team.”

“More like Boss decided he liked everyone breathing better than kissing ass to his boss.” Tet rolled his eyes.

“Sounds like you’ve been through a lot,” Etsuko analyzed.

“Definitely,” Andy nodded.

The door swung open as Ryusei and Shouma entered, arguing. Then the rest of the team came in behind them. Kei was red faced, his brothers teasing him as the others rolled their eyes.

Andy chuckled. 

Etsuko watched them quietly.

“Hey Andy, remember what I said?” Ryon smirked.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “What did you say?”

“Famous last words? I hate to say I was right… but I was right.” The porter chuckled as Kei sulked.

“Did he really blow up another potion?”

Yamae tried to answer but he was laughing too hard so he just pointed.

Andy noticed Kei had a tail. She raised her eyebrow again before chuckling. 

Tet dropped his head to the table, his shoulders shaking.

“What kind of potion were you trying to make?” Andy wondered.

“A shifting one.” Akasa gave a long suffering sigh. “It only half worked. He’s got ears too, under the hat.”

“It’ll be a cool potion once you get it right.”

Kei gave a sheepish grin.

Ryusei and Shouma went quiet as Tsukasa came in.

“What? I’m here to eat, not assign a mission.” The dragon rolled his eyes before heading for the stove. He filled a plate, then sat down in a corner alone.

“Does the team get along with him?” Etsuko wondered.

Tet raised his head, watching the dragon worriedly. “He’s great. Just.. right now he’s having a hard time. His aide has been unwell.”

Etsuko nodded in understanding.

“We’re trying to help him but we haven’t found much. Unfortunately I’m not a psychiatrist and that’s probably what we need for him,” Andy answered.

Etsuko frowned, “This job must be rough, isn’t it?”

“Some days, rough is putting it lightly,” Andy responded. 

Ryusei looked at Etsuko, then moved away as he got a plate. Shouma sighed and sat down next to them.

“How’s it going?” Andy asked.

“It’d be fine if Ryusei wasn’t jumpy. At least he isn’t hiding like your third wheel.” He began to eat with a sigh.

Tet gave a tired groan. “We definitely need a day off.. Make that a year.”

“Retire and become beach bums?” Andy chuckled.

“Seriously considering it.” Tet stared at the table. “Who should we tackle first?”

Andy shrugged. “Not sure but maybe tomorrow if we’re free we can take a break day?”

“Absolutely. Especially if we all get smashed tonight.” Tet stood. “Gonna go find furball. Maybe you can keep our tech genius from jumping off a bridge. And then we can gang up on fang face and knock some sense into him.” He left the kitchen quietly.

Andy sighed, “Feel free to look around. If you need anything else, let me know.” 

Etsuko smiled, “Thanks.”

Andy headed over to Ryusei, “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” He stared at his plate, not meeting her eyes.

“I can tell that’s a lie, but I’m not going to force you to talk if you don’t want to.”

“Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” He mumbled, huddling his shoulders.

“Etsuko is really nice. The only reason she’s here is her country wants to make a squad like this. She’s not here to hurt us.”

“She’s not on our side either though.” The porter’s hands were shaking.

Andy took one of his hands, “How do you know? You can’t just tell that by looking at her. Maybe she is.”

“She’s evaluating us.. What if she decides to do the same thing the other one did? I won’t go back..”

“I have a good feeling about her. She doesn’t seem to be against us in any way, she’s more just curious. But you know I won’t let anything bad happen. I’ll hypnotize her like I did the last one if it comes to it.”

He swiped at his eyes with his other hand. “Sorry.. I’m so stupid jumping at shadows.” He raised his eyes to her, the dark circles around his eyes more evident now.

“Not stupid. It’s understandable to be worried based on everything you’ve gone through.”

He chuckled self consciously, then yawned.

“Go get some rest before the party, okay?” She gave him a quick hug. 

“Sleep is the one thing that hasn’t been visiting me.” He sighed. “I’ll be fine..I think.”

“Come on,” Andy stood and waited for him to follow.

“Where are we going?”

“If you can’t fall asleep on your own, I’ll just do a sleep spell for you. You need rest.”

He sighed again, but nodded.

Andy got him to his bed, then said the spell. She tucked the blankets around him gently before heading out.

Kenji met her in the hall. “Akasa needs help in the infirmary.”

Andy frowned but headed there.

Tet lay growling on a bed as Akasa muttered spells. His arm was slashed deeply, blood pulsing out. “Can’t believe he did this…”

“Who?”

“Furball. Found him in the bunker. Tried to talk to him but he wasn’t having it. To be fair, he did warn me to leave.”

Andy sighed and helped with the healing spells. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“Hope I don’t have to do this to you.” Akasa frowned.

Andy sighed and headed out to the bunker. She moved slowly down the ladder, “Kiba?”

“Stay away! Better yet, leave..”

“Not until you talk to me,” Andy responded. 

“Don’t you have an evaluator to sweet talk?” Kiba emerged from the shadows. His eyes were glittering, dark circles under his eyes. One hand was claw tipped and bloodstained.

“She’s fine. She just wants to see how we run so her country can make a team like ours.”

“Likely story. Probably is waiting for us to relax so she can call in the shrinks to lock us up..” The claws disappeared as he slumped to his knees.

“Not everyone is against us, you know. I have a good feeling about her.” 

He cocked an eyebrow at her wearily. “You know the only people I trust are the team.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Not everyone in the world is a bad person. That’s judging them just like people who judge shifters just for being themselves.”

“Sorry..it’s just second nature now after Branch.. Is Tet okay? I kinda lost it when he came down earlier..”

“He’ll be fine,” Andy approached slowly, then knelt down beside him. “What’s going on? We’ve not seen you as much lately. Is everything okay?”

“Didn’t want to possibly hurt you when I freak out. Nightmares won’t stop..but instead of the guys being killed over and over again by me, it’s you two.” He hung his head, his hair damp. He face was flushed as he took a shaky breath. “I don’t feel good..”

“You know we can help you through your nightmares. We want to help.” She said softly. “I’m going to take you to the infirmary now, okay?” She teleported him there and got him into a bed before starting to check him over.

He lay quiet, letting her.

She said a few spells which she hoped would help.

“I’m sorry..” He looked on the verge of tears. “I just can’t take the dreams..”

Andy wrapped her arms around him, “It’s okay. I understand. But we’re going to help you through them, okay? I might even have a spell for helping against nightmares.”

“I’m so tired…” His voice was soft.

“Go to sleep. We’ll be here to help you.”

“I’m scared..” He curled into a ball, shaking his head.

“I know. But just trust us. We trust you, okay?” 

He closed his eyes, then quickly reopened them. “I can’t..”

“Do you want me to do a sleeping spell?”

He slowly nodded. “Sleep or die right? I haven’t really slept in two weeks..”

“Aw you should have said something,” Andy ran a hand through his hair before reciting a sleeping spell.

“Sorry..” His eyes closed and he relaxed under her hand.

Andy quickly went to grab her books before moving to the chair next to him. She searched until she found a spell to prevent nightmares so she used it and prayed it would help.

“Um.. Andy? I need your help in Boss’ office.” Kei’s voice was embarrassed with a tinge of panic.

Andy made sure Akasa was keeping an eye on Kiba while she went to the office.

Kei and Tsukasa were trying to wake a young looking blond man sprawled on the floor. The witch looked shocked while the dragon looked mildly annoyed.

Andy knelt beside the man and started looking him over. “Who is he? And what happened?”

“His name’s Hiroki. He came to deliver some documents.” Tsukasa chuckled. “Saw our pirate witch here and promptly passed out.”

Kei gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Well I’m sure he thought I was dead, so..”

Hiroki started moving slightly as he came to. “Kei?”

“It’s me, you nut. Good to see you.”

Hiroki moved to sit up, “I can’t believe it. How..?” 

“Branch grabbed me. She rescued me.” Kei gave him a smile. “I found my brothers..”

“That’s great,” Hiroki grinned before pushing himself off the floor. 

“So why are you a courier boy? You’d be perfect for this outfit.” Kei eyed him with a smirk.

“Just doing whatever they need me to do,” Hiroki admitted. 

“That’s not the bird I know..” The witch narrowed his eyes. “Spill before I make you.”

“I was demoted..”

Kei stared at him dumbfounded.

“Since your body wasn’t found I kept arguing to go look for you instead of declaring you dead, until they demoted me and threw me in the brig,” Hiroki explained quietly.

Kei shook his head. “Couldn’t let me go huh?” He reached over and hugged Hiroki. “Thanks for fighting for me.”

Hiroki hugged back, “I’ve missed you.”

“Same here. Do you have to fly back or can you hang out? We’re having a little party.”

Hiroki grinned, “You know I’m always down for a party.”

Kei grinned as a knock sounded.

Andy opened the door.

Ryon stood there, two six-packs in hand. He froze when he saw Hiroki.

“Hey,” Hiroki gave a small wave.

The porter gave a look at Kei. “He’s alive?”

Kei nodded. “Yeah.”

Ryon whooped, handing the beer to his brother as he wrapped Hiroki in a hug.

Hiroki hugged back with a smile, “How’ve you been?”

“Okay, aside from psycho necromancers, pissed off vamps and a slew of mad scientists.” Ryon shrugged. “You?”

“At least you’ve been having some fun. I spent quite a bit of time in the brig.”

“You? In trouble? The guy who single handedly kept idiot here on the straight and narrow?” Ryon started laughing. “Sorry I missed it.”

Hiroki rolled his eyes and gave him a playful smack.

The porter just laughed harder as Kei opened a beer.

“Why don’t you guys take this to the rec room instead of Tsukasa’s office?” Andy suggested. 

“Good idea,” Tsukasa gave a wry smile.

“I’ll be in the infirmary if you need me,” she headed back to the infirmary, sitting back down beside Kiba.

“He’s been quiet.” Akasa sipped a glass of wine. “So what happened?”

“One of Kei’s old friends passed out when he saw him alive,” Andy gave a small chuckle.

Akasa gave a laugh. “I have a feeling that will be the standard for awhile. You’re not joining the party?”

“I want to but I told Kiba I’d help him if he needed it, so I’m going to stay here. Might take some wine though.”

The nurse grinned. “I’ll go get you some.” He exited as Tsukasa entered.

The dragon scowled as he caught sight of Kiba. “What is wrong with him?”

“He said he’s barely slept in two weeks.”

Smoke puffed out of the dragon’s nose. “Yet he kept pestering me for missions? I’m tempted to fry him.”

Andy gave a small chuckle in response. “Hopefully he’ll be better now that he’s getting real sleep.”

The dragon gave her a sad smile. He appeared to be fighting tears, wiping his eyes as he stared at the wall.

“You alright?” She asked softly.

“Honestly? Nowhere near close. Everyone is reuniting, but I can’t even get him to look at me..” The dragon slumped into a chair, the tears beginning to fall.

“I’m sorry we’ve not been able to find an answer yet,” she sighed. 

“If he was dead, I could mourn.. But this, this is torture.”

“If he were dead I could talk to him and see what’s wrong,” Andy said. “Maybe I can make a spell to block out psychological problems? Not sure it’d work.. Psych issues are hard enough to deal with medically, even harder magically.”

“It’s like he just gave up..” Tsukasa ruffled his hair. “Maybe we should have just let him use the damn syringe.”

Akasa reentered, wine glass in hand. “You don’t mean that, Boss.” He handed it to Andy as Tsukasa glared.

“If he didn’t care about us, why should I care?” The words were sharp, but the pain was audible.

“He cares. About you at least,” Andy answered. “I think the stress and worry about you having been taken and then the thought of the evaluator ripping the team apart so he wouldn’t be with you is what broke him.”

“But liquid  _ Hellfire _ ? He didn’t trust  _ me _ to fight if necessary? He couldn’t have faith?” Tsukasa’s eyes were hollow, pain filled orbs.

Andy set down her wine glass, “I don’t know. But I’m going to try to find out.” She looked at Akasa, “Keep an eye on Kiba please? I’ll be back soon so you can go party if you want.” She left the infirmary and headed to the room Daiki was in. 

She stared at him for a minute before she slapped him. “You need to get your shit together. You’re breaking his heart.” She sighed, anger evident in her voice. “We’ve all been through tough shit, but somehow we all get through it. You don’t get to just give up because things are hard. You’re supposed to be there for Tsukasa not make his life hell.” She sat down, trying to calm herself. “The team is still together, we’ve got even more members now. We had a rough few missions but we’ve been handling it. But I know we all miss you. Tsukasa thinks you must not care about us.. but I know we all care about you, especially him. Just please get yourself together for his sake if not your own.”

“I’m sorry…” His voice was almost inaudible.

“You need to talk to us if you’re feeling down, not just hide it. We want to know so we can help you.”

“I just..I didn’t want to die and leave him like that. I figured I could at least die on my own terms. But I couldn’t even do that because I showed you.. I don’t know why I did that instead of just taking it..” Tears leaked from his closed eyes.

“Maybe because part of you really didn’t want to go through with it. And you know you killing yourself would have probably hurt him more than if you died another way.”

“I’m sorry…” He curled onto his side as he sobbed.

“It’s alright,” she rubbed his back gently. “I’m sorry I yelled, but I can’t keep watching him worry.”

“I deserved it. Is he angry?”

“He’s sad. I know he’s frustrated but overall he’s just really worried about you and wants you back.”

Daiki took a deep breath. “Is he physically alright? You said something about rough missions? How long have I been down? What happened with the evaluator?”

“That evaluator was ordered to break the team up but I hypnotized her and we took out the guy who ordered it. Yeah, he’s alright. Branch now has these gloves that can kill people so necromancers can’t bring them back.. Luckily Kei made a revival potion which saved everyone because almost the whole team was wiped out. We currently have another evaluator but don’t worry, she’s not here to tear us apart like the last one. And it’s been about a month and a half?”

Daiki’s eyes were wide at the news of the gloves, but became puzzled afterwards. “Who is Kei?”

“He’s Ryon and Yamae’s brother. We also found Ryusei’s brothers. Saved them from Branch.”

“My god.. Did he have a heart attack?” 

Andy chuckled softly, “Luckily not.”

The vampire pushed himself off the bed, then swayed as he paled. “I feel so weak…”

“We’ve been giving you nutrients but you really need real food and blood.”

He nodded. “I want to see him. I need to see him. Please.”

“Do you want me to send him in here or help you to the infirmary where I last saw him?”

“Help me..” He clutched her arm in a deathgrip.

She wrapped an arm around him and helped him get down to the infirmary. She opened the door slowly.

Tsukasa looked up from his beer, several cans empty beside him. His eyes went large as he saw Daiki. With a sob, the dragon ran to his side, burying his face in the vampire’s shoulder.

Andy smiled as she watched, glad to reunite them.

“ _ Don’t you ever do this again _ . That’s an order.”

Daiki gave a shaky laugh before his knees buckled. “Yes sir.”

Andy helped him onto a bed before going to the fridge and grabbing a blood bag. She handed it over to him, “This should help a bit. We’ll get some real food in you too.”

He smiled his thanks, starting to drain the bag as Tsukasa sat down in relief. The dragon looked at her. “How?”

“I slapped him and told him to get his shit together.”

Tsukasa threw his head back as he laughed uproariously. “I should have thought of that.”

Andy smiled, “I’m just glad he’s back.” She headed back to her chair and started sipping her wine as she glanced at Kiba.

His eyelids were flickering, but he had a wide smile at the same time.

She smiled and continued to drink. She relaxed into the chair as she thought of ideas for their break day.

Tet walked unsteadily in, his eyebrow raising as he saw Daiki. “Miracles never cease with you, do they darlin?”

Andy chuckled softly, “Enjoy the party?”

“Kei’s partner is insane. I think he’s got a stomach of steel and I’m going to be drunk for a month.. Missed you and furball though. How is he?”

“Doing better I think.”

He smiled widely as he bent over and kissed her. “Good news.”

“You should probably get some sleep,” she assessed.

He pouted. “Come with?”

Andy chuckled and grabbed onto him and Kiba, teleporting them to her room. She got Kiba settled before turning and kissing Tet.

Tet kissed back, his eyes glittering. “I could spend the rest of my life only doing this and be happy.”

She smiled softly, “Me too.” 

He drew back, blinking owlishly. “Stop the room please.”

Andy chuckled and helped him into the bed. “Just get some sleep.”

He closed his eyes, the grin still on his lips as he drifted off.

Andy changed before climbing in. She stared at them for a while, a sleepy smile on her face before she fell asleep. She woke early, looking at them next to her still sleeping. She slipped out and headed to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

Kei and Hiroki were sitting at one of the tables. The witch had a large tumbler of coffee, his eyes half open. Hiroki looked wide awake, giving her a smile.

Andy returned it before grabbing ingredients and starting the food.

“You two are positively inhuman. How you are wide awake after last night is a mystery for the ages.” Kei’s voice was annoyed.

“I didn’t spend my night partying though,” Andy reminded.

Hiroki just laughed.

Kei threw a napkin at him with a soft growl.

“Just drink your coffee and you’ll be awake soon.”

Kei muttered under his breath, emptying half the tumbler in one gulp. 

“He’s conscious?” His brothers entered, eyes wide in awe. 

“Thought for sure he’d be down until tonight at least.” Yamae pushed his glasses up.

“I’m just that good,” Hiroki grinned.

Andy finished cooking, got herself a plate, and sat down.

The twins made plates and sat down next to Hiroki. Ryon chuckled, turning to Andy. “He challenged everyone to a drinking contest. Tet was the only one conscious enough to move afterwards.”

Andy laughed, “He did seem pretty drunk last night.”

“We had to carry Ryusei to bed.. Not expecting him before tomorrow honestly.” Yamae began to eat.

“Well, whoever’s up and with it, I was planning a picnic day.”

The men grinned. “Sounds like just what the doctor ordered.”

Kei looked over at her. “Boss and Daiki haven’t left the gym. You might have to drag them.”

“I’ll check on them when more people are up.”

Slowly the kitchen filled, the coffee machine being a big draw.

Yoshi and Rei stuck their tongues out at Hiroki as they reached for the pot and filled their cups.

Hiroki just smirked.

Andy finished her plate before heading out of the kitchen. She stuck her head into the gym, spotting the two. “You guys coming to the picnic today?”

They stopped, giving matching looks of confusion. They were both bruised, small cuts littering their arms and faces. “Picnic?”

“Yeah, I planned one.. Sorry if I forgot to mention it.”

“Sounds fun.” Daiki hissed as sweat hit a cut. He reached for a towel.

“We’ll be leaving soon. Still waiting on a few people to wake if they’re going to.”

Tsukasa nodded, wincing as he bent over for his water bottle.

Andy said a healing spell for them both before heading to her room to check on her guys.

Kiba gave her a smile, putting a finger to his lips. Tet was curled around her pillow.

Andy smiled. She let him stay like that a bit longer before she softly said, “Tet, do you want to go on a picnic?”

He blinked his eyes open, smiling softly at her as he stretched. “If you’re there.”

Andy chuckled, “Well then work on getting ready.” She looked at Kiba, “You coming too?”

“Sure. Feel like a new wolf after that nap. Ready to kick his butt in football.”

Andy smiled, “Good. I’m going to go finish getting the food ready, so meet me in the kitchen?”

They both nodded as they began to climb out of bed.

Andy headed to the kitchen and got the baskets filled.

Ryon popped his head in. “The phoenix twins said they have something to do.”

Andy nodded, “Alright. Well I’m ready now whenever you guys are.”

He nodded and disappeared from view. A few seconds later, the porters were in front of her.

Andy gave them the address, then ported off with the food.

Minutes later, the team was rowdily running around with the football.

Kei muttered a spell, causing Kiba to fall on his ass. The witch grabbed the ball with a cheeky “thanks.”

Kiba groaned. “Knew the anything goes idea was going to backfire.”

Andy laughed as she watched, setting her blanket out in the sun.

Daiki snuck up behind Kei, sneakily stealing the ball back and tossing it to Tsukasa. He gave the witch an innocent look, then started running. 

Andy continued to watch from her blanket, enjoying the soft breeze.

Finally, the game broke up, the guys all sitting down to eat.

Kiba and Tet sat down beside her with matching smiles.

“Having fun?”

Tet leaned over to kiss her. “Now I am.”

She smiled and laid back while they ate.


	25. Chapter 25

“Andy, I need your help in my office.” Tsukasa called over the radio.

Andy headed for his office, wondering what was going on. 

“Will you  _ please _ keep them from leaving?” Tsukasa was scowling at the phoenix twins.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Leaving?”

“They’re trying to resign and leave town, but they won’t explain why. I’m about to throw them in the brig.”

Andy frowned, “Why do you guys want to leave so badly?”

The two men exchanged glances, then Taka sighed. “We found out why the vampires came after us..”

“Why?” Andy asked softly.

“Our blood makes them invulnerable to Hellfire. Makes them truly indestructible.” 

Akira spoke. “We don’t want to get anyone hurt, so we figured if we left…”

Andy nodded slowly, “You know leaving town won’t stop them from hunting you. You’re safer here with us to help protect you.”

“But you’ll get hurt.. This way, if it’s just us..”

“I’m not letting you go alone. If you’re that insistent on leaving, I’ll leave with you.”

Taka shook his head rapidly. “No, you have to stay here. The others need you. We’re not that important.”

Andy growled, “First off, you are that important. Everyone here is like family, including you. Secondly, if they end up capturing you, who knows what we’ll have to deal with. If we can prevent them from getting you in the first place, it could be better for us in the long run.”

The twins exchanged looks, eyes locked on each other for several minutes. Finally,Taka broke contact and looked at Andy. “Alright, you’ve convinced us. We’ll stay.”

Andy smiled, “I’m glad.” She looked at Tsukasa, “Probably should up defenses.”

“If a quarter of this team weren’t gone, I could. They didn’t happen to think with their stomachs before reporting in, did they?”

Andy shook her head, “I’ve not seen them in a while. Want me to search for them?”

Tsukasa grimaced. “They  _ are _ four hours overdue..”

Andy nodded, “I’ll find them.” She focused on Tet first, teleporting to his location. She looked around in confusion.

Cage upon cage met her sight, all occupied by either one or more animals. They were all lying down, and upon first glance appeared to be sleeping. Then she saw the erratic breathing.

She walked down the aisle of cages, looking into each one with worry. “Tet?” She called, hoping he’d hear her if he was in one of the cages.

_ “Darlin? Get out of here! It’s not safe!” _ The voice was exhausted, severe pain coloring the words.

Andy looked around until she finally spotted him. “What happened?”

_ “Not sure.. This guy hit us with some kind of beam and we all shifted. But we can’t shift back.. He’s killing us..” _

Andy growled, “I’m going to rip him apart.”

_ “If he gets you, you’ll die.. Just go!” _

_ “ _ I’m coming back for you.” She teleported back to Tsukasa’s office, anger apparent on her face.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say someone is marked for death. Should I be worried Tet will be permanent?” The dragon remarked dryly.

“Someone hit them with a beam and made them shift. There’s a bunch of cages filled with animals.”

Tsukasa’s eyes narrowed. “Why haven’t they escaped? They’re even stronger and faster when they’re shifted.”

“They all seem really weak and in pain.”

The dragon sat down hard as he realized the situation. “They can’t shift back, can they? If it happened when they got there, they’ve been shifted for six hours.. Their bodies are giving out.”

“No they can’t shift back. Any ideas how to fix this? I can have Akasa search for spells while I help rescue.”

“They may be too far gone to save. The beam is military, used for double agents. I don’t think anything was ever created to reverse it.” Tsukasa slammed a hand down on the desk. “Bring them home at least. They deserve to be here among family.”

Andy frowned but nodded, heading out to try to find a team.

Kei saw her face as he spoke with Akasa and Rei. “Someone in trouble?”

Andy nodded, “Can one of you look through the books for spells or potions to shift someone back to human? It’s important. Plus, I need help getting them back.”

“I might have a potion. How much do you need?” Kei asked.

“If all those animals I saw were shifters.. A lot.”

“I’ll get right on it.” The witch headed for the lab.

Rei looked at her. “How many people do you need? Kai and Ryon are here, but Yamae and Ryusei went with Tet.”

“I don’t know, enough to break open the cages and get them to safety. Find whoever you can, we leave in five.”

“Yes ma’am.” He headed down the hall as Akasa watched her.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” 

Andy nodded, “They’re really weak and hurting.. Tsukasa said the beam is military, so I’m afraid of who is using it..”

Akasa grimaced. “I don’t think Branch wants us dead… but it could be in private hands. Either way, this is a problem.”

Rei returned, Ryon and Kai behind him. “Yoshi is on his way.”

She nodded, “I’ll start using spells to unlock the doors, you guys break the other ones open.” She looked at Ryon and Kai, “You guys get them out of there. If the people using the beam show up, keep working, I’ll try to fight them off.”

They grimaced and nodded. 

“Where to?” Ryon’s eyes were dark, flickering as he fought his wolf and dragon.

Andy gave them the location quickly, “Be careful. And let me know if you find anything suspicious.” 

He nodded, grabbing Rei and vanishing.

Yoshi jogged up, an explosive pouch strapped over his chest. “Ready.”

Kai gave Andy a nod as he and Yoshi disappeared.

Andy teleported back to the location, starting to unlock doors with a spell.

The others were yanking the doors open, the two porters grabbing the shifters. They vanished and reappeared rapidly.

Finally the only people left were the twins and Andy. 

Ryon reappeared, swaying as he tried to steady his breathing. “Let’s get out of here before our luck changes.” He grabbed the twins, Yoshi pressing the detonator as they vanished.

Andy was about to teleport when she heard something behind her.

“You bitch.. How dare you steal my zoo..”

A man came toward her, his clothing in tatters. He was clutching a small remote in one hand, a gun in the other.

Andy growled, “Those are people, you can’t just turn them into zoo animals!”

“They  _ are _ animals.. Pretending to be human to fool us! They belong in cages..” He fired the gun as he yelled.

It was faster than she could dodge, the bullet lodging itself in her abdomen. She fell back, trying to catch her breath. She pushed herself to her feet, starting to mutter a spell.

He gasped as his face turned red and he struggled to breathe.

She struggled to finish the spell, the pain growing. 

His eyes glazed, toppling to the ground silently.

Seconds later, Kai was there. He grabbed her arm, then they were in the infirmary.

“Akasa! She’s been shot!”

Andy tried to stay on her feet but she swayed, knees finally buckling.

Kai and Yoshi lifted her onto a bed as Akasa appeared beside them. He checked the wound. “I have to remove the bullet.” He grabbed tweezers and reached into the hole. After pulling it out, he stitched and wrapped it, then muttered several spells.

“How are they?” Andy asked weakly.

“Just focus on yourself, okay?” Kai’s eyes were clouded, his voice soft.

She could hear someone’s soft sobs several beds down.

She frowned, “Please tell me what’s going on..”

Akasa sighed. “We were too late for two of them. Nothing could be done. The rest are still fighting.”

Andy tried to push herself up.

Kai held her down. “Stop it. You just got stitches. You need to rest.”

“I  _ need  _ to help them,” she said, barely conscious. 

“You can’t even stand upright! How are you going to help them?” Yoshi was trembling with barely controlled anger.

“But the team’s more important.. I need to help..”

“You can’t help anyone if you die.” Akasa said softly.

Andy nodded slowly, finally giving in and closing her eyes.

Kai let go of her, sadly surveying the room. “Thanks for lying to her.”

Akasa nodded, his face grim. “For her own good.”

Andy woke slowly, fighting the pull of the medicine. She opened her eyes before trying to sit up. 

Several team members lay hooked to monitors. Four beds were covered by sheets. Another one was uncovered, Kei gently running a hand through the body’s hair as he cried quietly.

Andy pushed herself up out of bed, looking at the men. She tried healing spells on the living before moving to the covered bodies.

Kei gave her a look. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“Helping the team is more important than resting,” she answered quietly as she uncovered the men.

Tet’s face stared back at her, Kenji, Ryusei and Shouma beside him.

Andy focused on them, gold light surrounding them.

They began breathing slowly.

Kei looked down at Yamae. “Is it worth bringing them back? Maybe this is better. They can’t be hurt anymore.”

Andy sighed, “Don’t you want to give them the chance at life? I don’t think it’s fair to just cut it short. I mean with your logic shouldn’t we all just die so we don’t have to keep dealing with this shit?”

“We’re playing god.. Do we have that right?” The witch sighed as he stared at his brother.

“I used to wonder the same thing..” she sighed as she stared at Yamae, “but I was given this gift for a reason. I might as well help my friends out with it.”

He nodded, sitting back to let her near. “Listen to me getting philosophical..”

Andy focused on Yamae, the gold light shining.

He started to breathe and Kei smiled softly. Then he swayed and fell out of the chair, his eyes half open.

“What’s wrong?” Andy said softly, trying to help him up.

“Had to use life force in the potion.. I might have overdone it..” He gave her a weak grin.

Andy sighed, “Let’s get you in a bed then.”

“I’ll be fine..” His eyes closed, going limp in her arms.

Andy lifted him and set him into a bed and muttered a couple spells. She felt the exhaustion hit her and she moved her hand to the wound. She winced when it came back bloody. She went to find Akasa.

He was frowning at Kei’s spellbook. He looked up in exasperation. “Damn fool must be trying to join Yamae..” He stopped as he saw her side. “Dammit Andy!”

“Kei passed out.. I think the stitches popped when I lifted him..”

“You don’t learn do you?” Akasa pushed her onto a bed and began restitching. He looked over at the uncovered beds. “You just had to revive them..”

“Would you rather I not have?”

“I’d rather not have to restitch you because of it.. I’m worried about Kei.”

“I don’t think he has dealt with life force magic much before..”

“Me either. He almost passed out several times while working on it.” Akasa finally moved away, sitting down beside her. 

“We’ll keep an eye on him. If he doesn’t get better, I’ll figure out how to help him.”

“Yeah. Boss is worried we might be in trouble with so many of us down.”

“I’ll be back up soon,” Andy gave a small smile. “If anyone comes after us, I’ll kick their asses.”

He laughed. “I know you will.”

Tsukasa and Daiki chose that moment to enter, the dragon scowling as he saw her. “You are incorrigible.”

The vampire bit his lip, fighting laughter.

“What’s up?”

“Just checking in. Was prepared for the worst, honestly.”

She nodded, “I think everyone will be alright now.”

“Very glad to hear that. They were so bad, Akasa here was warning me to be ready.” The dragon sighed with relief.

Andy sighed before yawning.

“Get some rest.” The two men smiled, then left.

Andy closed her eyes, quickly falling back to sleep.

Akasa moved away, checking on the patients quietly.

When Andy woke again, she stretched out a bit before sitting up. She winced at the pain in her side but could tell it was a lot better than before.

The infirmary was empty except for one bed. Kei lay still unconscious as the monitor beeped slowly. She could see the dark vine on his neck getting darker.

She went and grabbed the potion for the vine and gave him some to see if it would help.

His shaky breathing eased a little, but that was the extent of it.

She focused for a moment, then sent energy toward him, silver light surrounding him.

The monitor began beeping faster, the vine slowly beginning to vanish.

She stopped, the light fading away. She moved to sit beside him, feeling a bit exhausted again.

Tet entered, his eyes growing concerned as he saw her. “Are you okay, darlin?”

“I’ll be fine,” she gave him a small smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Someday I’ll stop being amazed at you, but not today. I’m fine. What happened to him?”

“The potion he made to help you guys needed life force. We think he’s inexperienced using it and used too much.”

“Talk about a learning curve. He’s going to be okay right?”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine.”

“Good. Boss put us on stand down. Ordered us all to get some r n r. Any ideas?”

Andy looked thoughtful, “Why don’t you guys take a beach day?”

“Alright.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Try to get healed okay? Furball suggested something and I want to try it..”

Andy smirked, “Can’t wait.”

He grinned and left the infirmary.

  
  
  



	26. Chapter 26

Warning! This ch is full of sex so if you aren’t into that, skip this ch and go onto the next!

Tet double checked the bed as Kiba finished the preparations. “Sure hope she doesn’t freak and turn us into something.”

Kiba grinned. “Can she if she can’t talk?” He wiggled a gag at the tiger.

Tet laughed. “Not sure. Here goes nothing.” 

He headed for the infirmary, hand firmly wrapped around something in his pocket. “Darlin? You busy?”

“What’s up?” She gave him a smile.

“Can you teleport blindfolded?”

She raised an eyebrow, “If I know where I’m going.. Why?”

He grinned, quickly covering her eyes. “Our room.”

She was confused but complied, teleporting them to the room.

She felt herself led to the bed.

“Lie down.” Kiba softly instructed.

“Okay?” She did as she was told.

She felt cold metal encircle her wrists, clicking softly. 

Tet growled deep in his throat. “You’re so damn sexy like that..” He began to remove her clothing slowly.

“Is this that idea you mentioned?” She chuckled softly.

“Yeah. It’s even better than I imagined.” Kiba began to kiss her slowly as she felt her legs spread and heard more clicks.

“This is your night.” Tet touched her gently, his thumb stroking.

She let out a soft moan in response.

The two men grinned at each other, then Kiba asked her. “Gag or no?”

Tet continued to touch her, but slower.

She gave a small smirk, “I’ll leave that up to you.”

She heard matching chuckles, then felt something press against her lips. “Open.”

She opened her mouth slowly.

A rubber dildo filled her mouth, hands buckling it on behind her head.

Tet’s hand increased speed.

Andy let out another moan.

Two fingers entered her, quickly matching the rhythm.

She slightly bucked her hips in response. 

She heard a small buzzing noise as Tet’s hand disappeared. Suddenly there was a continuous pulsing sensation on her clitoris.

The fingers didn’t still, probing deeper as the pulsing grew stronger.

She bucked her hips again before letting out a loud moan. She started trembling and she tightened around the fingers as she came.

“That’s it..” Kiba said softly.

The fingers slowly disappeared along with the pulsing. Seconds later, there was something against her back entrance. It was well lubed, sliding in easily. Whatever it was began to softly vibrate.

She let out a deep purr.

“You like that huh? How about this?” The object began to slowly move in and out.

She moved her hips in pleasure.

The pulse on her clitoris returned, teasing her.

She felt herself growing close again, and bucked her hips a few more times before finally coming.

She heard soft laughter as the pulse disappeared and the object pulled out. Then the room grew quiet. Several minutes passed with no sound.

Andy sighed, relaxing onto the bed as she waited to see if there was more or if she was ever getting let out. If she really wanted she could get out of them but she decided to see what they were planning.

A minute later, she felt two dildos slide into her. They filled both her holes tightly.

“Did you think we were done with you?” Tet’s voice was teasing.

“Not a chance.” The gag and blindfold were removed, revealing Kiba with a wicked grin on his face. “You’re going to be so worn out..”

Andy let out a small chuckle in response.

Kiba kept the grin, kneeling over her and flicking her clit.

She let out a low moan as he did.

Tet appeared, remote in hand. “Take a good look, darlin. I want you to tremble in anticipation.”

She raised an eyebrow at the remote.

“Look down.” Kiba whispered.

She did as instructed.

Two large dildos were attached to metal arms. Those were attached to an electrical box. Tet pressed a button and the dildos suddenly moved inside her.

“I can make them go fast,” Tet made them speed up, “Or slow them down.” He slowed them to barely moving.

“Nice,” Andy looked impressed.

Kiba grinned, piling pillows behind her head. “You’re going to watch yourself..”

Andy leaned on the pillows, excitement growing.

Kiba lowered his head, his mouth closing over her clit and sucking lightly.

Andy moaned loudly in response. 

He increased pressure as Tet turned on the machine to medium. The dildos began to move in and out, matching rhythm with Kiba’s tongue.

“No closing your eyes.” Tet told her.

Andy nodded and started moving her hips. 

Kiba rose, placing a massage wand on her clit. With a flick of his thumb, it began to pulse. The machine began to slowly speed up.

Andy arched her back in pleasure, enjoying the sensations.

Kiba turned the wand up, watching her hungrily. He moved it in a circle over her clit as the dildos accelerated again.

She bucked her hips again before she came, her juices flowing out around the dildo. She was breathing heavily as she relaxed back onto the pillows.

The machine stopped, Tet’s eyes gleaming. He looked at Kiba, then at her.

“Now we’re going to have some fun. You’re going to beg to cum and when we say so, we want to hear you. You up for it?”

“I guess,” Andy shrugged.

Both men grinned, Kiba replacing the blindfold.

The machines started up again, slow and rhythmic. The wand joined in, lightly pulsing.

She let out a soft moan.

Slowly, everything sped up. The dildos began to pound her, the wand pulsing faster.

“Remember, beg for it.” Kiba’s voice was excited.

She let out a moan before speaking, “Please let me cum.. make me cum..” she let out a purr.

Tet chuckled, nodding to Kiba. Both of them turned their items on high and watched.

“Moan for us, let us hear you cum.”

Andy started to tremble, finally letting out another loud moan as she tightened around the dildos.

“Very nice.” Tet turned off the machine, pushing back. Then he unlocked the cuffs around her ankles as Kiba undid her hands. Instead of taking them off though, he locked them behind her.

Tet slid onto the bed, positioning her over him as Kiba slid behind. They thrust into her as one, synchronizing as they fucked her.

She moaned and moved her hips, enjoying them being in her.

Tet squeezed her breasts as Kiba squeezed her throat lightly. He thrust harder in her back hole, “Cum while I squeeze..”

She did as instructed, arching her back as she came.

Both men gave moans, trembling as they came.

Andy trembled as she felt them. 

After a few minutes, Kiba unlocked the cuffs and moved to the mattress, whispering “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yeah,” she nodded with a smile.

“Good. You needed to relax.” Tet’s voice was soft and sleepy.

“Thank you,” she gave a contented sigh.

“Night, Andy.” Kiba drifted off.

“Night, guys,” she smiled softly as she closed her eyes.


	27. Chapter 27

A videotape suddenly materialized in the infirmary, landing loudly on the floor.

Andy raised an eyebrow but went and put it in the tv.

The picture was wavy for a moment, finally stabilizing into a shot of two men beaten seriously. They were bound to a wall, men slamming fists into them.

Andy breathed in sharply as she realized who the two men were.

A tall blond appeared. “Kadoya, a trade. You for them. I’ll be in contact, unless you don’t care if we kill these two.”

Andy stared at the man in confusion, knowing she had killed him. She removed the tape and made her way to Tsukasa’s office. She slowly knocked on the door.

Daiki opened it, his smile fading as he saw her. “Uh oh. What’s wrong?” He stood aside to let her in.

“Kei and Hiroki have been taken... This appeared in the infirmary. I just don’t understand how he’s alive...”

Tsukasa took the tape, loading it into his tv. His jaw clenched as he watched and when it was over, he growled. “Sonofabitch. He probably had more than one double.” He turned off the tv and reached for his gun. “This time, I’m going to kill him.”

“I can take you to him,” Andy said quietly. “Unless you really want to wait for him to contact you.”

“No. You’re going to take me and then get those two to safety. I’ll come back afterwards.” Tsukasa gave Daiki a glare as he looked about to argue. “I’m going to end this because he’ll come after Kiba next.”

Andy nodded, checking her pistol then saying, “Ready when you are.”

Tsukasa gave Daiki a reassuring kiss. “I’ll be back I swear.” He went to Andy’s side and nodded.

Andy put a hand on his shoulder and focused on Andersson before saying the teleportation spell.

They appeared in the warehouse, scant inches from where Kei and Hiroki were hanging. 

“Get them out of here.” Tsukasa ordered as he moved away, his eyes scanning. He disappeared into another room.

Andy teleported Kei and Hiroki to the infirmary, starting to check them over and say healing spells. She impatiently waited for any sign from Tsukasa. 

_ “Tell Daiki I’m sorry.. I got him but he got me too.” _ Tsukasa’s voice was faint.

Andy cursed before focusing on Tsukasa and teleporting there. She quickly looked around to scan the area.

Andersson was pinned to the wall, a sword in his throat. At the terrorist’s feet was a locked open pistol.

Tsukasa lay on his back nearby, six bullets in him. His eyes were unfocused, blood streaming from his lips as his chest ever so slowly rose and fell.

Andy took him to the infirmary and started quickly saying spells and removing bullets. She worked on stitching him up before getting a transfusion set up. 

Daiki took a tentative step into the infirmary. His face was stony, as if he was preparing himself for the worst. “Is he-?” He clenched his jaw tightly, the words trailing off.

“He’s alive,” Andy informed as she continued to work. She was now cleaning the rest of the blood off of him.

“Is the bastard dead?”

“Yeah, unless he has another trick up his sleeve.”

The vampire collapsed into a chair, his body untensing as he watched her.

She finished up, “He should be alright after some rest.”

_ “Darlin? You might want to reschedule the plans we had..” _ Tet’s voice was quiet but hurried.

_ “What’s happening?” _

_ “The asshole we were taking out flipped the tables on us. We’re prisoners.” _ He suddenly screamed, a buzzing sound loud in the link.

Andy cursed and looked at Daiki, “Seems like Tet and the others are prisoners.. I’m going to get a team to go rescue them.” 

“Let me.” He raised the radio he held. “Anyone wanting a fight, meet in the infirmary for rescue duty.”

Five minutes later, half the team was awaiting instructions. Daiki looked at her. “How many do you need. I’m coming by the way.”

“What even was their mission?” Andy wondered, trying to figure out what to expect.

“Small fry gangster wanting to be big. He’s psychic and can harness electricity. Nasty bastard. We were ordered to keep him from taking over the city.”

Andy nodded and looked at the group, “We go in, porters focus on getting our teammates to safety, the rest take on any one who gets in our way.” She looked at Daiki, “You and I can take out the gangster.”

“Glad for the vote of confidence.” Daiki saluted her. “Let’s do this.”

Andy focused on Tet and teleported her and Daiki.

The vampire crinkled his nose at the smell of burnt flesh. “I’m really not going to feel bad at eating this guy.” He began heading toward the sound of weak screams as the others appeared next to her.

Andy followed along, praying her friends were all still alive.

They emerged into a large room, several of the men hanging from hooks in the ceiling. All of them had burns from an electric whip the man was wielding. Tet was weakly trying to avoid being slashed, his uniform hanging in tatters. His wrists were bleeding from his attempts to get free.

Hitoshi’s head hung, his body limp. Ryusei gave a cry and wrapped his arms around the man, disappearing quickly.

Ryon grabbed Jade and Leo, then did the same.

The man stopped, noticing the movement. He roared in anger as he saw the empty hooks, then turned to face Andy. “You’ll pay for taking them!”

Andy growled, “I could say the same thing to you.”

Daiki’s fangs extended as he launched himself at the man. “Get Tet out of here!”

Andy quickly moved to Tet, teleporting him out before going back to help Daiki.

The vampire panted, his left arm sliced to the bone. It hung limp, blood pooling on the ground where Daiki crouched. He had a slash on his chest as well and was unsteady on his feet.

The gangster had a set of fang marks on one arm but it didn’t seem to faze him. He raised the whip and focused his stare at the same time. Then he swung.

The whip sliced into Daiki between his neck and shoulder, the vampire crying out.

The gangster laughed, making the whip sizzle with electricity.

Daiki convulsed, then toppled over as the gangster turned his gaze to Andy.

Andy found herself unable to move. She looked at him in confusion.

He grinned evilly, tapping his eye before raising the whip and arcing it toward her. 

She tried not to scream as it sliced into her chest. She focused a moment before turning into a hawk and flying at him, attacking his face and eyes with her talons.

He screamed, slashing the whip wildly as he tried to protect himself.

Andy felt it hit her a couple times but she ignored it and continued. She shifted once more, this time into a snake, and wrapped herself up around his throat.

He tried to pull her off, his face turning red, then blue. Finally he crumpled to the ground dead.

Andy teleported Daiki back to the infirmary, getting him into a bed. She ignored her own wounds as she worked on healing him up using spells and stitches. When she was done, she swayed, falling back into the chair.

Akasa crouched beside her, his lips moving rapidly. He finished the spell, looking at her. “You better now?”

“Thanks,” she nodded, the pain had decreased as the wounds started to close.

He nodded, slowly rising. He didn’t move, his eyes closed as he leaned against the wall dejectedly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel useless. Hitoshi is dead, but I think he was before he got here. Tet.. he bled out in my hands. Jade and Leo are hanging on barely. I’ve done all I can.”

“You’re not useless. You keep me alive, don’t you?” She gave him a small smile before pushing herself up. She still felt kind of weak but she moved to Tet and set up a transfusion. She made sure Tet and Hitoshi were fully healed before focusing, gold light appearing around them.

They inhaled sharply, their vitals calming after a minute.

Andy sat back down, watching Tet for a minute before closing her eyes. She rested there for a little while before finally going to change into a clean uniform. She came back and checked everyone over again.


	28. Chapter 28

Andy laid on the ground, a large slash in her chest bleeding out into a puddle. She struggled to push herself up, facing the vampire again and starting to mutter spells. She swayed, almost collapsing but she managed to stay upright. The vampire noticed her and rushed to attack again. She weakly tried to block but she continued to try to say the spells.

“Dammit Andy!” Tet jumped on the vampire’s back, trying to drag him off. He yelled as the vampire turned and grabbed him. Two slashes and he was thrown across the room, slamming into the wall and lying still.

The vampire turned back to her, slashing at her again. She fell to the ground but finished the spell. The vampire was soon vaporized. She dragged herself to Tet, blood trailing. She said healing spells on him until she finally passed out.

Kiba scowled, picking himself up. He radioed for porters and they were soon in the infirmary being treated by Akasa.

“Taka is unconscious, but stable. You need to take it easy, but you’ll be alright.”

Kiba looked over at Tet and Andy. “They okay?”

Akasa grimaced. “He’ll be hurting awhile but she took care of most of the damage. She’s going to need my full attention for a few hours.”

Andy woke slowly, hearing the beeps of the machines. She finally opened her eyes and tried to look around.

“Of all the idiotic, stubborn, stupid assed things to do! Are you trying to shorten my life?” Tet’s eyes were blazing, his face red as he yelled at her. “I  _ told _ you to back off and regroup but you didn’t listen!”

Andy stared at him a moment before pushing herself into a sitting position, “I took him out, didn’t I? Wasn’t that the goal?”

“It could have been done without you getting sliced to ribbons!” Tet was pacing at the end of the bed, his hands shaking. “He almost killed you! Why didn’t you listen to me?”

“Taking him out was the best way to keep the rest of the team safe. You know that’s always my goal.”

“Does it  _ always _ have to be at the possible cost of your own life? What would we do if you died?” Tet white knuckled the bed frame as he glared at her. 

“I will  _ always  _ think the team is more important than myself. If I died, I’m sure you’d figure something out.” She growled, “I’m not going to keep listening to you yelling at me.” She pushed herself off the bed, ignoring how light headed she felt and left the infirmary.

Tet roared, then followed her. He slammed her against the wall. “ _ Figure something out?! _ Listen to yourself.. If that’s the way you feel.. I hope you’re happy. You’ve finally managed to destroy my heart..” He whirled, stalking down the hall and disappearing around the corner. 

Andy slid down the wall, curling into herself as she sobbed.

Tet snarled at Ryusei as he entered the computer room. “Find me someone to kill. Better yet, find me a lot of someones.”

Ryusei shuddered, quickly looking for trouble. “Here.. You might want to calm down.”

“You might want to mind your own business.” Tet retorted before leaving.

Andy lost track of time, not having the energy or drive to push herself up. She just stayed on the floor crying.

Akasa came out and picked her up without a word. He carried her back into the infirmary, laying her down on a bed before muttering a sleep spell.

When Andy woke, she tried to remember what was happening. Their fight came back to her and she sat up, tears filling her eyes.

“Are you alright? I heard you and Tet got into it.” Kiba gently asked.

“I don’t really understand what I did wrong.. I mean, I understand I disobeyed orders but..”

“He’s just scared. He spent so much time accepting he was going to die alone. Now you’ve saved him and all he can see is the possibility of losing you. It would kill him. I think you know that better than anyone.” Kiba gently kissed her cheek.

Andy shook her head, “From the sound of it, he’s done with me.” Tears streaked her face.

Kiba sighed. “He’s running. He thinks it will hurt less if he breaks his heart himself. Give him time.”

Ryusei ran into the infirmary. “ _ Please _ tell me Tet’s marker just ran out of batteries.. Tell me he’s in his room..”

“I don’t know where he is,” Andy wiped at her eyes.

Ryusei’s face went white as he backed into a corner. “I killed him..” He slid down the wall, tears beginning to fall.

Andy pushed herself up and went over to him, crouching to his level, “Tell me what happened.”

“He demanded I find a trouble spot. He wanted multiple targets. I suggested he calm down and he told me to mind my own business. He was so angry…”

Andy looked at him sadly, “This is my fault so don’t blame yourself. I’ll go find him.” 

“I gave him the location of a shifter gang… now his tracker’s offline..his vitals were fluctuating..” The porter was shaking in horror. “I shouldn’t have..”

“I made him mad in the first place. You were just following orders.” She stood. “I’ll find him.” She focused on Tet and teleported to his location.

A run down building appeared, its double doors closed. Blood streaked footprints were bright in the sunlight.

Andy followed the prints, hoping it would lead her to Tet.

They led to an empty alley. The footprints disappeared, replaced by large pools of blood in irregular spots. Then a bright streak leading to a motionless body at the end of it.

Andy rushed toward the body, leaning down to check on it.

Tet was covered in blood. It pulsed sluggishly from numerous slashes and one large stab wound. His eyes were half opened, unfocused and dimming.

Her eyes filled with tears again as she moved him into her lap. She started saying healing spells, “Please stay with me.”

“Dar..lin? I’m..sorry I yelled..” He struggled to look at her.

She shook her head, “It’s alright, just stay with me.” She said another spell to start closing the wounds.

“I..didn’t mean it.. I love you so much.. I..” Tears began streaking his face as he shook from blood loss. “Forgive me..”

She wiped his tears away before running a hand through his hair, “I love you.” She recited more spells, healing more of the damage.

He gave her a tiny smile before his eyes went out, going limp in her lap.

She let out a sob before focusing, gold light shining around him.

He lay still, his eyes reflecting the light before it faded away without revival.

Andy shook with sobs, finally wondering if a transfusion would help. She teleported him to the infirmary, her hands shaking as she tried to set it up.

Akasa took the equipment, setting it up silently. He started the flow of blood, then turned away with sad eyes.

Andy sat beside Tet, waiting for the blood bag to empty before trying to revive him again. The gold light shined once more as she focused, praying to any god that would listen to help bring him back.

There was no reaction, Tet lying motionless. His skin was cold and pale.

Andy cried, grabbing his hand and begging him to come back. 

Akasa began to pull her away. “He’s gone.”

She shook her head rapidly refusing to believe it. “He can’t be..”

The nurse fought his own tears. “Let him go. I’ll clean him up.”

“No! He can’t be!” She sobbed.

Akasa softly muttered another sleep spell.

Tears continued to fall until she was completely unconscious.

She woke, once again confused, until she remembered Tet. Tears filled her eyes again as she looked around for him.

One bed lay covered in the corner, the infirmary empty though she heard raised voices in the lab. A small bit of smoke curled under the door as someone yelled.

Andy wondered what was going on but she decided to go over to the covered bed first. She uncovered it slowly.

Tet lay in a clean uniform, appearing asleep. His hair was slightly in his eyes, the bangs longer than usual.

She moved his bangs aside, trying not to lose it again. She gently kissed him before letting out another sob.

The lab door slid open, Kei emerging with a determined look. He stopped as he saw her. “You’re awake..”

She nodded slowly.

“Get yourself together.” He wiggled a vial. “If we have any good luck left, this will make you smile again.” The witch moved to Tet’s side unsteadily.

Uncapping it, he poured the contents down Tet’s throat. Then he began a spell. He began to glow as he laid a hand on Tet’s chest. He focused, the light flaring brightly, blinding Andy.

She watched in anticipation, wondering if it would work.

As the light died, she heard a cough from Tet.

Kei gave her a triumphant look before crumpling to the floor.

Andy bent down to check him over.

He wasn’t breathing, the vine a tight noose around his throat.

Andy put him in a bed before grabbing the potion to help with the vine. She poured it into his throat before focusing her power, light surrounding him.

The vine resisted, growing tighter as he gasped in a small breath.

She continued to focus her power, this time a silver light surrounding him as she tried to give him a bit of her own energy to fight off the vine.

The vine shriveled, dissipating into smoke as he coughed repeatedly.

She watched him a moment before going back over to Tet and checking him over.

His eyes were open. “I’m sorry I lost it..”

“I’m sorry. I should have listened to you to fall back in the first place.. and I’m sorry I always put everyone else above myself.”

“It’s what makes you you. I should know better than to ask you to change your nature.” He was fighting sleep as he spoke.

“Get some rest. We can talk more when you wake up again.”

He blew her a weak kiss as he drifted off.

Akasa came out, one arm supporting Taka. “It worked...holy shit.”

“What was it?” Andy asked quietly.

“The potion he made for you mixed with about a pint of birdboy here’s blood.” Akasa helped Taka to a bed, the phoenix laying back gratefully.

“Thank you.”

“All for one, one for all. Much rather it go to you guys than the vamps.”

Andy nodded, moving into a chair to keep an eye on everyone.


	29. Chapter 29

Etsuko knocked on Tsukasa’s office door and waited.

“Come in.” Tsukasa’s voice was annoyed.

She entered slowly.

He was buried in paperwork, smoke ringing his head.

Daiki lay asleep on the nearby couch.

“Miss Hiroshi? To what do I owe the pleasure? More questions?” The dragon gave her a small smile.

“Actually, I had a request. I don’t know if you’ve heard but my country has broken into a civil war..”

Tsukasa’s smile faded as he nodded. “I heard. I’m sorry.”

“They’ve currently put the squad I was working toward on hold, and I honestly don’t want to go back and fight against my own people. I was wondering if you had any room on your squad for another person.”

He looked thoughtful. “I don’t see a reason to refuse, although I just sign the checks. Find Andy. She’s the real Boss.” He chuckled at Etsuko’s look. “Andy takes care of everyone here. She can find a place for you to bunk. Welcome to the squad.”

“Thank you,” Etsuko smiled gratefully.

She headed out and entered the infirmary. Andy turned to her and smiled, “Hey Etsuko. What’s up?”

“I’m joining the squad. I was told you could help me with accommodations?”

Andy smiled, “Welcome to the team. Glad to have another female around.” She headed out of the infirmary and led Etsuko to a room. 

Etsuko settled her stuff in the room before heading to wander around the base.

The fire alarm began to ring.

Etsuko looked back at Andy. The doctor was rolling her eyes, “It’s probably just Kei making potions again.” 

Etsuko raised an eyebrow and followed Andy. 

They entered the infirmary to see Akasa scolding Kei.

“Are you trying to blow us up? Some expert!” The nurse waved his hand at the smoke. “Does this have to happen  _ every _ time?”

The earth witch hung his head, not responding.

Akasa turned to Andy. “I’m done. Anything to add or can I turn him into something?”

Andy chuckled, “I  _ did  _ think experts would be able to make potions without blowing. But at least he’s making himself useful.”

Kei glanced up, his eyes covered by his hair. “Sorry.. It won’t happen again.” He moved around Akasa, slipping out the infirmary door with a nod to Andy.

Akasa grimaced. “That’s not like him.. Maybe I was too harsh?”

“Maybe..” Andy sighed. 

Kei walked off the base, not really paying attention. Akasa’s words kept replaying. He had been botching potions more and more since he’d been rescued.. Maybe he wasn’t good enough any more? He sighed, kicking at a rock. Maybe it would be simpler to relocate somewhere safer. He looked up as he heard the phoenixes pass by laughing, then lowered his eyes again.

The laughter turned to yells and the earth witch looked up to see six vampires encircling the two men.

“Get away from them!” Kei muttered a spell, smiling as two vaporized. He sent a mental message to Andy.  _ “Could use some help. Got a few unwelcome guests harassing the birds.” _

He was about to give their location when he felt fangs pierce his neck, then darkness.

Andy cursed, looking at Etsuko, “Ready for your first mission?”

Etsuko nodded, “Always.”

“Let’s go see if we can get a few more people then we’ll head out.”

She followed Andy into the infirmary as the doctor looked for some of her teammates.

Ryon was frowning as Akasa recounted the incident. “You don’t know where he went?”

Akasa shook his head. “He definitely wasn’t acting normal though.”

“I know where he went. And we need to get a team together.”

Ryon shot her an alarmed look. “He’s in trouble isn’t he?”

“He tried to stop some vamps taking the phoenix twins. I don’t know his current status though.”

The porter growled, his eyes flickering.

Minutes later, Hiroki and Yamae were entering, Hideo behind. “Any idea how many vampires we talking?” Yamae glanced at Andy.

“No idea,” Andy admitted. 

“Let’s just get them back.” Ryon took a deep breath.

Andy nodded, “Let’s go.” She put her hand on Etsuko’s shoulder and teleported her to Kei’s location. 

He was bound to a stake, a vampire slowly feeding. His eyes were glassy, his breathing ragged. 

The twins were unconscious, bound to stone slabs in front of a vampire on a throne.

The vampire motioned the feeder away as Ryon and the rest of the team appeared. “You aren’t welcome here, sorceress. Leave and you won’t be hurt.”

Andy growled, “We aren’t leaving without our friends.”

The vampire looked at her coldly. “They are our keys to immortality. They are ours. And witch blood is sweet. We won’t give any of them up.” He bared his fangs in challenge. “Take them if you can.”

Andy growled once more, baring her fangs in return. “Yamae and Ryon, get them out of here.” She charged at the vampire.

Yamae rushed toward the twins, grabbing them and vanishing.

Ryon ran for Kei, but was blocked by the feeder. He growled, shifting in his dragon form and spraying the vampire with flame. 

The vampire laughed, avoiding the fire and sinking his fangs into Ryon’s throat. He drank quickly, kicking the dragon aside as it reverted. Ryon hit the wall and lay still.

Etsuko pulled out her pistol, quickly shooting at the vampire. Hiroki moved to Kei’s side, untying him from the stake. He moved him next to Ryon before looking back at Andy.

Andy was clawing at the vampire with panther claws, trying to keep him from biting her. He sank his fangs into her neck.

Etsuko pulled out a gadget that she fired at the vampire. It clawed onto him and she yanked him away from Andy. She repeatedly fired at him, knocking him to the floor.

Andy pushed herself to her feet, swaying a little as she muttered a killing spell to make sure the vampire was taken out.

Etsuko went and wrapped her arm around Andy, “Let’s get back home. Can you still teleport?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. Andy got to Hiroki, Kei, and Ryon before teleporting them all to the infirmary. She set up transfusions for Kei and Ryon before sitting down.

Yamae gave her a small smile. “The twins seem to be okay. Just a sleep spell apparently.”

Andy nodded, “That’s good.” 

Kei slowly blinked his eyes open and sighed. “Why didn’t you leave me?”

“You’re our friend, why would we leave you?” Andy said quietly.

“I’m an earth witch who can’t make potions right. I’m a hindrance and an annoyance.” He pushed himself up, yanked out the IV and headed for the door. 

“Kei, you’re not a hindrance or annoyance. And you’re a better potion maker than the rest of us,” Andy informed. 

“Yeah, you’re not an annoyance,” Etsuko added softly.

“According to Akasa, I am..” He gave both women a sad smile. “I cause more problems than I solve. But no more. No more potions.” He recited the teleportation spell and vanished, leaving everyone in shock.

“Is he serious?” Yamae asked worriedly.

“I don’t know..” Andy said quietly before going to find Akasa.

He was nursing a cup of coffee in the kitchen, his eyes worried. He looked up as Andy entered. “Did you find him?”

“ _ You _ need to go fix this. He teleported off saying he’s not going to make potions anymore and that you think he’s a hindrance and annoyance.”

Akasa winced. “I was frustrated and angry. I didn’t mean it..” He stared into his cup gloomily. “I just hate watching him put more energy in that he can’t get back. He’s been in the infirmary more for my spells than his. It’s like every potion saps his life force a bit more, and the ones he’s actually added it to leave him unconscious for longer periods of time. Haven’t you noticed how tired he always is?”

Andy nodded, “Maybe he  _ should  _ stop making potions.. but he shouldn’t just because he thinks we think he’s annoying.” 

Akasa nodded. “Any idea where he could be?”

Andy shook her head, “If you just focus on him then teleport you should find him.”

Akasa nodded, standing and reciting the spell. He vanished. A few seconds later a horrified message sounded in her head.

_ “Andy! I need help! I can’t stop him!” _

Andy teleported to their location to take in the situation.

Akasa was attempting to pull Kei out of the ground. The earth witch was fighting, his lips rapidly trying to finish a spell. The ground was actively trying to swallow Kei, but he seemed to be expecting it.

“Both of you stop it!” Andy growled before she said a spell to freeze their movements. “Kei, Akasa didn’t mean what he said, he’s just worried about you. You’ve been losing energy every time you make a potion and you’re spending more time in the infirmary. He’s worried about you, like I am. He just shows it different.” She sighed. “Why  _ have  _ you been losing so much energy? I understand if you want to give up potion making for health reasons but not because of what any of us say.” She took a deep breath before unfreezing them.

Kei shook his head. “I thought it was just from being away and not using the power. Now I don’t know. But I can’t do anything else. If I can’t help, then I’m worthless and hinder. I refuse to hinder, so I’m doing what earth witches do when they are tired. They become one with the earth.” He closed his eyes and was about to restart the spell when Akasa slapped him.

“You absolute idiot! You’re not worthless or a hindrance. I’m sorry that I said that, it was the frustration showing because I’m the one not being able to help. I can’t stop whatever’s happening and I just want to scream.. Ryon is worried too and that hurts me even more..  _ Please _ don’t do this..”

“Plus, we’d all be dead without your potions. You saved us against those gloves and you saved Tet,” Andy added.

He sighed, a desperate sad sound. “Wouldn’t this just be easier than you two watching me fade away?”

“We will figure out what’s happening to you. Until then, you can talk me through potions and I’ll make them for you,” Andy answered. “You  _ were _ with Branch. Who knows what they did to you if this is related to them?”

Kei muttered something, allowing Akasa to pull him loose. He swayed dizzily as the blood loss came roaring back. “The phoenixes..”

“They’re fine,” Andy answered. “Let’s get you hooked back up to a transfusion so you’ll feel better, okay?” She teleported them back to the infirmary and got him set up in a bed.

He gave her a chagrined smile. “Sorry about that.. I thought the earth getting my power was better than it disappearing.”

“It’s alright, I promise we will work to find out what the problem is.”

He nodded slowly, his hold on consciousness disappearing. His eyes slid closed.

“He’s sick isn’t he?” Ryon watched with a frown.

Andy sighed, “There’s definitely something wrong, we just haven’t figured out what. If it was a medical issue I’d be able to solve it easily, but it’s a magical issue which makes it complicated.” She gave him a small smile, “Try not to worry. We’re going to figure it out and fix him.”

Tet walked in and stopped. “Why does everyone look like we have only five minutes left to live?”

Andy shook her head, “Long story. Everything’s okay for now.”

He shrugged, kissing her on the cheek. “Alright. I’ve got an early mission so I’m going to crash. Wanted to warn you, furball is in the gym kicking everyone’s ass. Worried about him popping his stitches.” 

Andy sighed, “Let Akasa deal with it if he ends up back in here. I’m going to go crash with you.”

He chuckled. “Sounds good to me.”


	30. Chapter 30

Andy woke early, like every morning, and stretched out in bed. She looked beside her and noticed Tet and Kiba still fast asleep. She climbed out of bed and got dressed before heading to the kitchen. She stared at the fridge for a few minutes, unsure what to cook.

She considered making the group take a break day, she knew they needed it, but even that sounded exhausting to her. Yeah, she got to have fun, but she was still cooking and preparing the food, making the preparations, and helping keep the team together. She needed a break away from all of it. 

Having no real plan in mind, she grabbed some paper and wrote two notes. The one on the kitchen door said, “Taking a day off. Cook for yourselves. Try not to set the kitchen on fire. -Andy.” She then put a similar one on the infirmary door, “Taking a day off. Please don’t die while I’m gone. - Andy.” She then grabbed her phone, wallet, and keys and headed out to her car. She put the top down and started driving. 

She breathed in the fresh morning air as she headed toward the town. She scanned the local businesses, looking for anything that looked interesting. Finally she noticed a small spa. Heading in, she glanced around and looked at the offerings. Two hours, a massage, manicure, and pedicure later, she headed back out to her car. She then drove the familiar streets back to her house.

She entered the front door, a sense of calm washing over her. She spent an hour tidying up and dusting before sitting in her chair with a book. She had started the book months ago but got too busy with everything to finish it.

After finishing the book, Andy decided it was time for lunch. She thought of all the places in town she could eat but nothing sounded good. It then dawned on her that she wasn’t limited to just what was in town. She scanned through the internet and finally picked a place. She focused on the location and teleported there. She found herself on a bustling street in Tokyo and she quickly entered the sushi shop.

After her meal, Andy teleported back home. She locked her house up and headed toward the clinic. She spent the afternoon there, catching up with the workers and helping with patients. 

When it came to dinner time, she smiled and knew where she wanted to go. It was always a dream of hers to visit Paris, and now that she could teleport it would be easy to get there. 

Andy went and got dressed up before arriving at a cafe right next to the Eiffel Tower. She ordered and waited on her food, taking pictures of the scenery around her. After enjoying her meal, she knew the perfect way to end the day. There were a few different places around the world that did nightly firework shows so she picked one and headed there. She took lots of pictures of the light displays and bright colored explosions. 

Finally, she teleported back to where her car was, then started the drive back to base. She prayed the group stayed safe while she was gone. She knew if she hadn’t taken a day for herself she was going to lose it between all the cooking, cleaning, and the medical and psychological care she gave the team. She loved helping them but sometimes it got overwhelming and grew to be too much. Not that she’d ever tell them that, she normally would just push on through it but after this day of rest from them she knew she made the right decision.

It was late when she arrived back. She parked her car and headed in, unsure what to expect. 

Akasa was slumped in a chair in the kitchen, a cold cup of coffee in front of him. He looked tired, eyes half open as he stared at the floor.

Andy raised an eyebrow as she entered, “How’s it going?”

He blinked, raising his head to look at her. “You look relaxed. I’ve had worse days. Today was just long.”

“What happened?”

“Your boyfriends took their worry out on each other in the gym..shifted. Neither one of them were happy when they found your notes. Tsukasa made them swear they wouldn’t contact you on pain of flames and the brig. Kei was researching and collapsed again even though he wasn’t actually making anything. Other than that, we found out Ryon is a hidden chef.”

“I said I took the day off, they shouldn’t have worried. I just needed to get away..” she sighed, “First thing in the morning I’ll start researching things for Kei.”

“They’ll always worry. You should know that. Anyway, everyone’s asleep, so nothing to worry about. Both of them are healed, though sore. I told them that it was a stupid thing to do because they cause more damage when they fight shifted. They should be in your room.”

Andy nodded, “Thank you. Sorry for leaving you hanging..”

“Hey, no apologies. I could see how stressed you were. This was necessary.” He stood and hugged her. “Now go see them.”

Andy nodded and headed off to her room.

Tet and Kiba were on opposite sides of the bed, facing away from each other. Both were shirtless, bandages taped on in several places. They were sleeping, but she could tell that it wasn’t peaceful as they winced when they shifted positions. Tet’s eyelids were racing and he whispered her name worriedly.

Andy changed then climbed in between them. She said some spells to help with the pain. She gave them both a kiss on the cheek before she sat back against the headboard.

Kiba blinked his eyes open, a smile appearing as he saw her. He moved to put his head in her lap with a relaxed huff. “You look better than you did.”

“I just needed a break. I’m sorry I left.”

He sat up halfway. “Stop apologizing. We are a handful at the best of times and lately, well I’m amazed you haven’t lost your mind. You need r n r even more than we do.” He planted a kiss on her lips, then resumed his position. “Though honestly, next time give him a little message during the day will ya? Just so he doesn’t go terminator on me?”

Andy nodded with a small smile before running a hand through his hair.

He smiled as his eyes closed, drifting off.

Tet suddenly shot upright, his eyes panicked. He froze when he saw her, his eyes wet.

She gave him a calm smile. “Hey.”

“I’m an idiot huh? I about lost my mind like a toddler without its mommy.” He gave her a chagrined look. “You do look more stable.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“It’s not your fault I’m obsessive. Although I think I need someone to hit me when I think sparring shifted is a good idea.. I was out of control and I hurt him..” Tet ran a hand over Kiba’s head. 

“It’s alright. At least you’re both alright.”

The tiger shook his head. “No, it’s not. I could have killed him. It went from sparring to actual fighting. The porters had to pull me off before I ripped out his throat..” He pulled his hand back and dropped his head.

Andy sighed, “I’m sure he understands.”

“He shouldn’t have to..” He looked at her and grimaced. “And now I’m making you feel guilty..” He got out of bed muttering “Nice going Kanamoto” under his breath as he reached for a shirt.

“Don’t go,” Andy said softly. “Everything is okay and we love you. Just come back to bed with us.”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I’m going to take a walk.” He pulled it on, gave her a hurried kiss and slipped out of the room.

Andy frowned but she stayed in bed, continuing to rub Kiba’s hair.

After awhile, he shifted position, cuddling a pillow with a smile on his lips.

Andy got up and headed out to look for Tet.

He was outside, seated on a rock in tiger form. His eyes blinked as he stared at the sky silently.

She gently pet his head without saying anything.

He rubbed his head on her hand, his purr soft and sad.  _ “Sorry I’m so damned needy. Sometimes I think I should stay like this..” _

“I don’t mind you being needy. It’s cute,” Andy admitted.

_ “Cute?”  _ A chuckle came through the link.  _ “Think that’s the first time a stalker was described that way..” _

“I love you,” Andy shifted into panther form and nuzzled her head against him.

He chuffed, nuzzling back.  _ “I love you so much it hurts sometimes..” _

She sat beside him and let out a soft purr.

They sat in silence for awhile, then she felt him begin to shake.

She looked over,  _ “You okay?” _

_ “Promise you won’t yell?” _

_ “Promise.” _

_ “I kinda fought Akasa when he tried to transfuse me.. I also didn’t eat today..”  _ The tiger’s paws began to fidget.

Andy sighed, “ _ Let’s go get you some food, okay?” _

He reverted to human, rubbing his arms for warmth as he nodded.

She reverted to human form and wrapped him in a hug before leading him to the kitchen.

He sat down at a table, his eyes dark. He watched her quietly move about the kitchen. “I’m sorry about this.”

She shook her head, “Don’t worry about it.” 

He chuckled. “How come you never call me on my bullshit? Like right now, I know you’re tired and want to sleep but you’re in here taking care of me. Most women would hand me a pan and tell me good night.”

Andy shrugged, “I love you and don’t mind taking care of you.”

“Even when I don’t take care of myself?” His face was somber.

“I love you always, and I especially don’t mind taking care of you when you don’t take care of yourself.”

He gave her a wry grin as he stood and pulled a drink out of the fridge. “Definitely not a normal woman..”

“Would you rather I be normal?”

He choked, coughing for a moment. “Absolutely not.”

She turned away from the stove to look at him, “Are you sure?”

He moved into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her. “Positive.”

She leaned into the hug, “Thank you.”

“Always stealing my lines.” He kissed her hair softly.

She smiled and went back to finishing making his meal. She plated it up and handed it to him.

He gave her a hard kiss, then sat down and began to eat. “I’m still sorry for being an idiot.”

She smirked, “I’m used to it.”

“Real funny.. I should spank you.” His eyes danced impishly.

“You want to,” she grinned.

“Is that a dare?” He growled playfully, putting his fork down.

“It might be.”

He quickly finished the food, putting the plate in the sink and grabbing her. “I think you just grabbed the tiger by the tail so to speak.” He picked her up and carried her to his room, closing the door behind them.


	31. Chapter 31

Akasa knocked rapidly on Tet’s door the next morning. “Andy, wake up!”

Andy came to the door, “What’s up?”

“We’re losing him.. I’ve tried everything.” Akasa’s eyes were grave.

Andy took a deep breath and nodded, heading to the infirmary.

Kei was struggling to breathe, his vitals almost non existent. Ryon and Yamae were each holding a hand tightly as if they could keep the witch alive by sheer willpower. 

Andy focused, “I’m going to try to buy us some time.” She pushed some of her energy into him, a silver light surrounding him.

His breathing eased, his vitals rising slightly.

All three men exhaled sharply, Akasa waiting for instructions.

“Help me look through the books.” She headed into the lab to look through Kei’s potion book.

For the next couple hours, they searched. 

“I think I’ve found something.. I’m going to start it. Can you see if we can get a bit of the phoenix blood if they’re willing?”

Akasa nodded. “I’ll go find one of them.” He hurried out the door, returning a few minutes later with Akira.

The phoenix grimaced as he caught sight of Kei. “Damn, he’s really in trouble.” He turned to her. “Whatever you need you can have. Including my life.”

“We just need a bit of blood, okay?” Andy gave him a small smile. She drew the blood and added it to the mix. She then focused her energy into it as she recited a spell. A light glowed around it before it faded away. She lifted the vial and headed out to Kei. She poured it into his throat and focused again, reciting another spell and transferring more energy into him. She then watched and waited.

Kei began to glow, getting brighter as the spells worked. After a few minutes, the glow stopped and left the witch breathing normally. His vitals were back to normal as well and the twins sobbed in relief.

Andy smiled, sitting down a moment to rest.

The door opened, Tet dragging Daiki over his shoulder. The vampire was paler than usual, black blood streaming from his nose. He was barely conscious and shaking.

Andy frowned, “What happened?”

“Wish I knew. Found him collapsed in the kitchen with an open bag of blood.” Tet gently set him on a bed.

“Get the blood bag. I want to test it.” She started checking Daiki over and starting to recite spells.

Tet nodded and left, returning with the bag a minute later. “We just got new supplies. The vamps were anxious because they’d run out the other day.”

Andy nodded and took the blood. After twenty minutes, she came out, “Go check the other vamps. At least this blood is poisoned.”

Tet cursed explosively, then left at a run. Ten minutes later, he and Kiba were bringing in Jack and Zal. Jack was similar to Daiki, Zal motionless. Kiba shook his head at her look as he lay him down.

Andy sighed and continued to work on an antidote. When she finished, she went out and injected the three with it. She watched Jack and Daiki to see how they did.

The bleeding stopped, some color returning to both faces. The shaking slowed, then stopped. Their breathing returned to normal.

Tet watched them, his eyes flickering.

She focused on Zal, light surrounding him.

He began coughing, his eyes opening halfway. “What..happened?”

“Poisoned blood.”

He looked at her in shock. “Ours or all of it?”

Andy shrugged, “At least the stuff you three drank. I haven’t checked the rest.”

The radio came to life, Tsukasa’s frantic voice filling the room. “I need help! Someone is shooting arrows at us! Ryusei and Shouma are down! I--” The transmission cut off as the dragon gave a cry that turned into a sickly sounding gurgle.

Andy looked at Tet and Kiba, “Let’s go help them.” She looked at Akasa, “Check the rest of the blood supply. We need to know if we have any good blood if we need to do transfusions.”

He nodded and went out the door.

Tet and Kiba were growling, trying not to shift.

Andy headed to the door of the base, looking out to see if she could see anyone. She didn’t so she headed outside and kept her eyes open for trouble.

Ryusei, Shouma and Tsukasa lay on the ground, multiple arrows embedded in them.

Tet and Kiba shifted, roaring and howling as they leapt over the wall. They raced toward someone in the treeline and disappeared.

Andy started taking the injured men inside before going back out to see where Kiba and Tet were.

She heard a pained howl from the forest, then a camouflaged man came out with a crossbow. He was smiling, it growing wider as he saw her. 

“More money to make. I love my job.” He lifted the bow.

Andy shifted into her hawk form, flying toward him as she tried to dodge arrows. She got hit with an arrow before shifting into her panther form and biting into the man. She drained his blood before running into the forest to look for Kiba and Tet.

Kiba staggered toward her, two arrows in his abdomen. Tears streaked his face as he repeated Tet’s name in shock.

Andy reverted to human form, ignoring the arrow in her side. She went to Kiba and grabbed him gently, “Where is Tet?” 

He looked at her dazedly, then waved behind him. His eyes rolled back as he passed out.

Andy caught him, trying not to scream when he hit the arrow sticking out of her. She clenched her jaw before teleporting him to the infirmary. She then focused on Tet and teleported to him. 

He was hanging off the ground, pinned to a tree with multiple arrows. One jutted from his neck, blood covering it. His eyes were open, glazed with pain and terror as he struggled to breathe around the arrows in his chest.

Andy quickly removed the arrows in his chest as she recited healing spells. After the holes were finally closed, she finally removed the one in his neck, putting pressure on it as she said more spells.

He shook violently, his body trying to compensate for the blood loss. His eyes were desperate, his mouth moving silently.

“It’s alright, everything will be okay,” she assured. She teleported him to the infirmary, “Akasa! Is any of the blood good to use?”

The nurse looked grim. “We have enough left from our previous supply to transfuse. The new blood is all poisoned. You have to choose though. We can either split the few bags between everyone or use it all on one of them. Ryon has gone to try to get more at headquarters.”

Andy was quiet for a moment, “Who is still alive?” 

“Kiba, Tet and Shouma.” His answer was a growl.

“Split it between the three.” She sighed before focusing on healing them. She kept a close eye on them, still ignoring her own wound. 

Akasa nodded before clucking his tongue. “Andy, you need that removed.”

She nodded, “Once I’m done with them.” 

He sighed, heading for the fridge and getting the blood ready to transfuse. Once it was set up, he looked at Andy. “Let me heal you.”

She nodded, “Why does it always have to be multiple things happening at once? First Kei, then the blood, now this?” She laid down on a bed. 

“My theory is the universe hates us.” The nurse answered as he began removing the arrow. Once done, he began saying spells.

She closed her eyes, taking the time to rest as the pain started easing away.

She heard Akasa move away, speaking quickly to someone. A few moments later, the sound of someone porting was heard along with repeated cursing.

Andy pushed herself up, forcing her eyes open, “What’s wrong?”

Akasa gave her a forced smile. “Everything’s fine. Ryon got the blood.” His eyes were grim.

“Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“He just ran into a little trouble, that’s all. Can you handle replacing the transfusion bags?” Akasa was hurriedly packing a small first aid kit.

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “What kind of trouble?” She moved to replace the bags as she waited for an answer. 

“Another asshole with a bow. And friends. He contacted Yamae because he couldn’t make it back. It’s bad.”

Andy nodded silently. She finished with the transfusion bags on the living team members before moving to the dead ones and starting to heal them up. When she was done, she focused on them, the light surrounding them. When she was sure they were alive and breathing, she took a deep breath, “I’m going to go help Ryon and Yamae.”

Akasa handed her the kit. “Be careful.”

She gave him a small smile before focusing on them and teleporting to their location.

Yamae was cradling Ryon, panic in his eyes as he tried to staunch bleeding from multiple injuries. Sobs made the porter shake as he gave up, his arms wrapping around his brother.

Andy went to their side and started reciting spells to close up the wounds. “It’ll be alright.” She whispered gently. 

Yamae tried to relax, but he was so upset he started hyperventilating.

“Take deep breaths,” she said softly as she rubbed his back. 

After a few minutes, his breathing slowed. He squinted at her slowly before collapsing in her arms. Something warm and sticky began to spread on her hands.

She looked at him carefully, checking him over to see where it was coming from.

Blood pulsed from a deep stab wound in his side. She could feel his pulse fluttering slowly.

She started healing it, focusing her energy on him. She recited spells rapidly, closing the wound.

Kai suddenly appeared beside her. “You need some help?”

Andy looked up a moment. “Let’s get them back to the infirmary.”

He nodded, disappearing with Ryon. 

Andy teleported Yamae to the infirmary, setting him on a bed. She looked around the infirmary, rechecking everyone. 

Akasa was trying to restrain Kei as the witch saw Ryon and tried to get out of bed. Everyone else was still unconscious. 

Andy went over to Kei, “Don’t worry, he’ll be alright. You still need rest.”

He surveyed the room. “What happened? And don’t you dare say nothing.”

“Our vamps were hit with poisoned blood. Still haven’t figured out who poisoned the blood supply. The rest were hit with arrows, at least the one mentioned money so someone is paying them to take us out,” Andy sighed as she sat in the chair next to him.

“My brothers?” He watched Akasa set up transfusions for the pair, his eyes angry.

“They’ll be alright. They just lost some blood. They’re healed now though they might be a bit sore still when they wake,” Andy informed. 

He absorbed the information, then paused. His eyes narrowed. “You did something to me, didn’t you? I feel different.”

“Better different?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, but I feel like I have more power than normal.”

She looked thoughtful, “That’s good though, right?”

He gave her a smile. “I’m not complaining. Just wasn’t really planning on waking up, you know. I felt so weak..”

“I made a potion this morning when you got worse. I’m glad it worked.”

He chuckled. “I’ll make you a earthwitch yet.”

Andy gave him a small smile in response. 

Yoshi and Rei came in, their faces stony.

Andy sighed, “What’s wrong now?”

“Found out who the bastards hunting us are.” Yoshi’s voice was filled with anger.

“Who? And are they the ones who poisoned the blood too?”

“Bounty hunter. Yeah, that was their first try. Three guesses who’s paying them to kill us and capture you. The first two don’t count.”

Andy sighed, “They’re back to wanting me captured?” 

Rei scowled. “Apparently they just don’t learn the fucking lesson.”

Andy looked down for a moment, trying not to think of the bad memories from Branch. She finally looked back up, stood, and went back to checking on the group.

“Have to protect..” Tet mumbled as he tossed his head restlessly. “Can’t let them take..”

Andy went to him and whispered, “Everything is okay. Just relax.” She kissed his forehead gently.

One hand reached for her as he calmed.

She took his hand and sat beside him. She yawned, the exhaustion getting to her.

Akasa stood above her. “You need to rest. No arguments, okay?”

She nodded and curled up in the chair.


	32. Chapter 32

Andy woke up early and got everything ready, she then waited on everyone to show up to leave.

Tet came in, his face red. A familiar pair of orange and black boxers sat around his waist. “Where is that little shit?”

Andy giggled, “Haven’t seen him.”

“Un huh. Not sure I believe you. You know he snuck into everyone’s room and replaced our trunks with these? I think he had help.”

Andy shrugged, “Wonder who would do that?”

He glared at her as Kei entered with Etsuko. She was wiping her eyes as the witch grinned. “I like mine. Think I’ll keep them.” He wore a white pair with words on the back of them.

Andy squinted, then burst out laughing as she read CAUTION: HOT SURFACE. 

When she was done laughing, she went to Tet and kissed him on the cheek, “Lighten up. You know it’s fun.”

He gave a reluctant chuckle. “I guess he could have given me the ones Tsukasa got.” He pulled out his cell and showed her a pair with christmas ornaments that read jingle balls. “I’m not sure furball will survive today.”

Andy laughed, “That’s great.” 

The guys began trickling in, most laughing at their boxers. Daiki came in with a wide grin, approaching her.

“He’s so embarrassed right now. He’s no longer green, he’s now red. I had to leave before the promised bodily harm.”

Andy chuckled, “This was a great idea.”

“I know I had fun..” The vampire gave her a sly self satisfied smile.

Andy smiled, “Well, as soon as everyone shows up, we can have even more fun.”

Kiba waved at her from outside as Tsukasa walked in. He was wearing a towel over the offending garment and Daiki grinned mischievously. He snuck around and quickly yanked it off, then ran.

Andy giggled before waving to Kiba.

“There are now two that are going to be burned crispy and not from the sun.” Tet whispered in her ear.

She grinned before looking around to see if anyone was missing.

Everyone was accounted for but Ryusei.

Hitoshi waved. “He’s coming. Woke up late.” 

As if summoned, he appeared, his hair still wet from the shower.

“Let’s get this show on the road then.” Tet looked at Andy. “Same beach as last time?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I thought it was nice and it wasn’t crowded.”

The porters grinned and soon most of the guys were gone.

Kiba snuck in behind Tet, slapping his ass as he kissed Andy. He laughed when the tiger tried to grab him and shook his butt at them.

A picture of a bull was emblazoned with the words bull-ox.

Tet started to laugh. Andy giggled at him. “Are you guys ready?”

They both nodded, each taking one of her arms.

She focused on the beach before teleporting them there. The sun was bright and shining and she looked out to see the team already having fun.

Etsuko and Kei were splashing each other. Suddenly they embraced, their lips meeting in a long kiss.

“That’s a surprise.” Tet’s voice was shocked. “Did anyone know about that?”

“I could tell something was going on,” Andy admitted.

“Before or after the party that night?” Kiba chuckled at Tet’s look. “I saw them go to his room. They were both hammered.”

“Ah, we missed the party,” Andy remembered. “But she’s been giving him looks lately.”

Tet grinned. “Good to see everyone happy, ain’t it?”

She nodded, “Are you guys getting in the water or staying out to get some sun?”

They exchanged grins, then Tet grabbed her. “The correct question is are  _ you _ getting in the water?” The two of them carried her into the surf laughing.

Andy laughed before splashing at them.

“Why you..” Kiba pounced on her, kissing her with a smile. Tet pushed him away to claim her lips and a mock wrestling match started.

Andy chuckled as she watched them, going a bit further out into the water. 

They separated and began to swim toward her.

She started swimming away from them, seeing which one could catch up to her first.

Kiba grabbed her around the waist, then kissed her. “He’s too slow.”

She kissed him back before laughing.

The wolf grinned, then raised his head. He frowned as his eyes scanned the water. “Where is he?” He stiffened as he saw Etsuko suddenly jerk and fall, Kei screaming her name. “Fuck! I think there’s a sniper..”

Andy growled and started heading back, keeping an eye out for Tet or the shooter. She went to Etsuko and started a healing spell as she tried to stay calm.

The team had scattered, crouching or lying on the sand as they scanned the roofs of the buildings.

“Got him.” Kei’s voice was full of fury as he began to mutter a spell. He stood, extending his hand at the same time as a rifle went off. He jerked slightly, but didn’t stop the spell.

Seconds later, the shooter was encased in vines. He struggled to get free as Kei fell to his knees, holding his shoulder.

Andy focused on the shooter and said a killing spell, watching him tumble to the ground. She then knelt by Kei and started healing his shoulder. She looked out to see if Kiba had found Tet yet.

He yelled her name in panic, swimming toward a body floating face down. He quickly turned it over, cursing as he saw the gunshot wound in the tiger’s chest.

Andy rushed over to him, “Get him to the beach.” She ordered. Once on the sand, she started healing spells to help with the wound. She listened as best she could to his chest without a stethoscope, “It doesn’t sound like he has water in his lungs. He should be alright but we should keep an eye on him.” 

Kiba nodded. “We should get out of here in case there are more of them.”

Andy nodded and made sure everyone had left the beach before teleporting Tet and Kiba into the infirmary. She set Tet on a bed before checking over Kei and Etsuko again, who were being placed on beds by Yamae and Ryon. 

“Tell me she’s alright..” The witch struggled to stay conscious, his hand around Andy’s wrist.

“She’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just rest.” 

His eyes closed, his breathing slow.

She sighed as she watched him, then headed to change out of her bikini. She soon came back to the infirmary and took up a chair next to Tet.

He woke with a jolt, sitting up with a pained gasp. “I saw someone..”

“It’s alright, calm down.”

He sank to the bed with a groan. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Everyone is okay.”

He sighed in relief, then closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

She curled up in the chair and continued to watch him sleep. 

The next morning, she felt lips on hers. 

She blinked her eyes open in confusion. 

Tet grinned at her, then kissed her again. “Morning darlin.”

She smiled softly, “Morning. How are you feeling?”

“Fine. But you looked mighty uncomfortable so I thought I’d wake you.”

She chuckled, “It’s not that bad. I’m used to sleeping in these chairs.”

“Not an endorsement. Why don’t you get some real sleep? I’ll cook breakfast for everyone.” He looked over at the other beds. “They okay?”

“Yeah, they’ll be fine.” She kissed his cheek, “I think I’ll take you up on that. Wake me in a couple hours?”

“You got it.” He grinned and pulled her up. “Go.”

She kissed him before heading out of the infirmary to her room. She was soon fast asleep.

He headed for the kitchen, quickly starting to cook.

Andy woke and glanced at the time. She pushed herself out of bed, confused to why Tet hadn’t woken her. She headed out of her room to look for him.

“Andy? Can you explain why Tet collapsed and is acting brain damaged?”

Andy looked at Akasa in alarm. “Is he in the infirmary?”

“Yeah. Tsukasa brought him about ten minutes ago. Apparently he was walking in circles and mumbling like he was drunk. Then he passed out.”

Andy cursed and headed to the infirmary. She grabbed her stethoscope and listened to his breathing. “I should have better checked him yesterday...” She got supplies and started to get the bit of water out of his lungs. She hooked an oxygen mask on his face to help him get in more air.

Akasa watched in confusion. “What the hell happened? He was fine earlier.”

“It’s from him almost drowning. It’s respiratory distress,” she informed. “He must have breathed in water I couldn’t hear before.”

“How serious?” The nurse watched his shaky breathing.

“Normally, pretty serious. With the help of magic, not as bad.” She said a few spells and watched his breathing even a bit.

Akasa moved away, sitting down. “Who do you think shot at us yesterday?”

Andy sighed, “Not sure. I know Branch hired bounty hunters after us, they might have hired snipers as well?”

“Are we ever going to be free?” He slammed a hand on the table.

Andy frowned, “I kept thinking everytime we destroy them that we might be done, but they constantly rebuild..”

“Tempted to teleport a nuke to whatever rock they are hiding under.” The nurse gave a feral smile.

Andy gave a small smile, “I’m just worried about what they want from me this time..”

“Don’t worry. You know us. They won’t lay a hand on you without going through us.”

“I know.. but I’m still worried about you guys and the possibility of it. You know?”

He gave her a soft smile. “I know your heart is ten times the size of your chest. Just try to stay positive.”

She nodded slowly, looking back at Tet.

He stirred, eyes opening slowly as he pulled off the mask.

“Hey. You feeling okay?” She asked softly.

“Was I hurt?” His gaze was confused.

“You inhaled water yesterday and it messed with you.”

“Oh. So that’s why my chest hurt..”

“Your chest hurt and you didn’t tell me..?”

“I thought it was just left over soreness from being shot..” He tried to sit up.

“Next time, tell me about your pain, okay? It’s my job to make sure you’re as healthy as can be.”

He chuckled, then winced as his head started to pound.

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly.

“My head feels like I tried to out drink Hiroki..”

Andy quickly said a spell, “Any better?”

He gave a slow nod. “Tired..”

“Get some more rest, okay?” she kissed his forehead.

He gave a half smile, eyes closing quickly.


	33. Chapter 33

Andy smiled as she approached Ryon and Ryusei, “Morning guys. Want to get off base for a while? We are going to run errands.”

They looked at each other, matching grins appearing. “Gets us out of doing paperwork. We’re in.”

Tet came in, shaking his head with a laugh. “Bad boys.”

The grins got bigger. “You picked us..”

Andy chuckled, “Let’s get going then. Want to port or drive?”

“Your invitation, your choice.” Ryon looked at Ryusei for a moment. “Think he needs a haircut?”

Ryusei yelped. “Leave my hair alone.”

“It’s getting long.” Ryon’s lips quirked.

“That’s rich coming from a guy whose hair is so non regulation it’s not funny. And  _ who  _ uses more shampoo than Kei  _ and  _ the rest of us?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Let’s get going before I decide to cut both of your hair.” She grabbed her keys with a smirk, “Driving will get us out of base longer.”

Ryon swallowed hard as Tet began laughing. The three followed her to the car and climbed in.

“Where to first?” Tet looked at the list in his hand.

“Well, the market is definitely last. How about the clothing store?” She chuckled, “At least Kiba isn’t here to buy ridiculous things again.”

“We still have him..” Ryusei teased, pointing at Tet.

Andy smiled and started driving. 

Tet chuckled and reached back, smacking the porter on the head.

Andy pulled up to the clothing store and headed in. She started going through the list of necessary items before getting distracted and browsing for herself.

“Found the perfect thing for mr smart ass over there.” Tet whispered in her ear, one hand behind his back.

She raised an eyebrow at him, “Yeah?”

He pulled out a blue and gold leisure suit that looked like a reject from a disco revival dance with a massive grin.

Andy giggled for a moment, “Yeah, try forcing him into it though.” She went back to looking at the rack before smirking. She glanced to make sure Ryon and Ryusei weren’t looking when she pulled a cute lingerie item off the rack, “What do you think about me getting this?”

His eyes went wide and his cheeks reddened. “Oh..darlin, that’s naughty.”

She gave a small chuckle, “Should I?”

He gave a small needy growl. “Absolutely.”

She nodded and put it in the cart before continuing on. She finished getting the stuff on the list before checking out and heading out to the car. 

Tet soon followed, a bag in his hand. “Gonna give it for his birthday.” His eyes twinkled as the two came out with bags of their own.

“So where next?” Ryon moved his bangs with an impish look. “There’s a salon nearby…”

Ryusei gave him a look before putting him in a headlock. “I got him! Cut it off while I hold him!”

Andy laughed, “Seriously, I’m about ready to just cut both of your hair and be done with it.” 

Ryon gave her a look, then muttered “Fine. No more hints.” He reached up and began to tickle Ryusei.

The other porter jumped, releasing him. 

“Come on guys. Want some lunch?”

“Always.” Ryon grinned as Ryusei stuck his tongue out at him.

Tet chuckled. “When are they not hungry?”

She smiled, “Let’s go then,” she started the car up.

They climbed in, playfully bickering. Tet gave her cheek a kiss. “Isn’t the quiet lovely?”

She chuckled again before starting to drive off to the restaurant. She pulled up and climbed out of the car. 

A minute later, the three were standing beside her.

Ryon’s eyes narrowed, the porter frowning as he turned slightly. “Something’s wr..” He jerked and sank to the ground, a dart in his neck.

Ryusei looked at them in alarm seconds before he too fell.

Tet growled menacingly at the men that began surrounding the group. He was beginning to shift when he was hit with a taser. He stiffened and fell at Andy’s feet.

Andy scowled and started saying spells, taking a few men down before a dart hit her. She struggled to stay upright but soon lost the battle, falling unconscious to the ground.

When she woke, she found herself tied up in a cell. Within minutes, someone came in and injected her with something. She felt odd but didn’t see any visible effects.

The man left as two more dragged Ryusei in. He was covered in blood and bruises, barely conscious. The men dropped him and left, relocking the cell.

Andy tried to heal him, reciting spells. She saw no effects. She then tried to heal with her revival power, but once again nothing happened. She moved him so his head was resting in her lap as she continued trying. 

He coughed, his breathing wheezy. His eyes struggled to open. “You...okay?”

She nodded, “I can’t heal..” Tears filled her eyes, “I’m sorry..”

“Not your fault.. My time’s just up. I’m glad you’re…” He stilled, the silence loud to her ears.

She held him close, sobbing. She didn’t know how long she’d been in there but she continued to try to revive him, each try making her cry harder.

The cell was unlocked again, two men grabbing Ryusei away from her. 

She tried to keep her grip on him but failed. 

The porter was swung over one of their shoulders as Ryon was pushed in. As the door closed, he swayed and fell to his knees.

Andy reached for him, tears still streaking her eyes. 

He did the same, his face white with pain. He didn’t appear to have any injuries.

Andy wrapped her arms around him, unsure what to say.

His breathing was rapid, his eyes cloudy. “Andy? Andy, it hurts..” He arched his back as pain washed over him. When it receded, he lay quiet in her arms. The only sound was his irregular breathing.

“I’m sorry...” she muttered over and over, praying that somehow he’d make it through.

Another wave of pain wracked him and he clutched at her. “Promise me..my brothers safe..”

“They’re safe. I promise to do anything I can to keep them safe..”

He gave her a small smile, his breathing slowing. Finally, he gave one last soft exhale and went limp.

Andy let out a sob, holding him close.

“How do you like being helpless?” A man stood outside the cell, a cold smile on his lips.

Andy didn’t answer, just keeping her eyes down on Ryon.

“Not feeling talkative yet? That will change.” He motioned to several men who disappeared.

Minutes later they reappeared, a bound and beaten Tet in their hands.

“Darlin!” Tet began fighting to get to her, getting a hard punch to the stomach in return.

Andy stared at him sadly.

The man produced a syringe, injecting Tet with the contents. He nodded to the guards who unlocked the cell and shoved him in. “You two have fun.. I’ll be back in two hours.”

Andy watched them leave before looking at Tet. She slowly reached for him.

He made his way unsteadily to her, looking at Ryon. “He’s not sleeping, is he?”

“They killed them..” she whispered. 

He closed his eyes in sadness. “And now me.. I’m so sorry darlin.”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry.. I can’t heal or revive.. I don’t know what they did to me.”

He gave her a soft kiss as his knees buckled. “It’s alright. I know you’ll escape.”

She moved Ryon away and looked at him sadly, “I don’t know if I want to escape if you aren’t there to escape to.”

“The others need to know what happened. You have to warn them.” Tet winced as he took a breath. “You can’t give up, darlin.”

“They always keep coming back. They’ll just come back again. What’s the point anymore?”

He sighed. “Do you want this to happen to furball? Or our crazy earthwitch? Do you want any of them hurt?”

“No,” she sighed as tears continued to trickle down her face.

“Then live. Escape and save them.” He lay down in her lap as he grew dizzy. “Live for us..” 

She ran a hand through his hair, “I love you.”

He gave a soft purr. “I love hearing that.. I love you too. I’m glad I’m not alone..” He coughed, his breathing growing ragged.

She tried to stay calm, but the tears continued. She kept rubbing his hair, unsure of what else to do.

He gave her a soft smile as he passed out, his breathing slow and erratic. Minutes later, it ceased.

The man returned, the cold smile still on his face. “Are you ready to cooperate? We can save them you know.”

“What do you want from me?”

He motioned for her to stand as a guard unlocked the cell.

She stared for a moment but finally pushed herself up. 

“You must promise you will not escape and to follow all instructions. Agree to all tests. And you will help us break him.” The man pointed to another cell, a single man chained by his wrists inside. “If you agree, our necromancer will revive and release your companions.”

“And you won’t go after the rest of my team?”

He nodded. “They are safe if you agree.”

Andy took a deep breath, “Alright. I’m all yours.”

He smirked for a moment, then stared at her. “If you break your promise, I can guarantee your friends will suffer horribly before they die for good. Understood?”

She nodded silently.

“Good. Now come with us.” He motioned for the guards to unchain the unconscious man.

Andy looked at him sadly, wishing she could help him. 

They were taken to a lab, where the man was strapped onto a table.

The leader looked at Andy. “We need you to find a way around his gift.” 

Andy nodded, “What is his gift?”

“He's apparently immune to psychic attacks. Vampires have no hold on him. He also can not be controlled by necromancers and brainwashing doesn’t work.” The man scowled at the still figure. “We can’t control him in any way. It is unacceptable.”

“Have you tried hypnotism?”

“No. We have no one trained.”

“I wrote a hypnotism spell once. It might be able to work if you have someone to cast it.”

He nodded, motioning to a guard. The man handed him a syringe and backed away. He looked her in the eyes. “If I return your gifts, what will you do? Remember, we still have your friends. We can make it very uncomfortable for them..”

She took a deep breath, “If you made a medicine to block my gifts, would it block his as well?”

“We have been unsuccessful. Maybe you will succeed?”

Andy nodded, “If you allow me to analyze the medicine you gave me, I might be able to mix it into a potion to block his gifts.”

The man looked at her thoughtfully, then walked over and injected the syringe’s contents into her. “The scientists will give you anything you need.” He walked out the door, leaving her with them.

Andy looked the man on the table over before taking a notebook off the table and starting to take notes. She spent the next few days doing experiments and finally, made a potion she believed would work.

The man’s eyes looked defiantly at her. “Why are you doing this?”

“They won’t come after my friends if I do what they say..” Andy said quietly, unable to meet his eyes.

“You can’t possibly believe them?” The man fought against the restraints.

“I don’t know what to believe,” her eyes filled with tears.

“Let me free. I’ll help you escape.” He told her quietly.

“But what if they go after my friends again? I can’t keep fighting them forever..”

He slumped in resignation. “I understand. Make it fast if you can..”

“I’m sorry..” She whispered before giving him the potion.

He coughed, then screamed. He writhed against the restraints before going quiet.

She was quiet as she watched him. She then went to the man in charge and updated him on the progress.

The prisoner was watching her when she returned, his eyes semi blank.

She stared at him back, trying to think of something easy to order him to do. She unstrapped him from the table, “Stand up.”

He did so, standing in place. He didn’t move, his eyes straight ahead.

She was quiet, “What’s your name?”

“Jun Igashi.”

“Sit down,” she sighed. She was unsure what else to ask, a little unsure if she wanted to know more about the man whose life she was ruining. 

He sat, his body ramrod straight in the chair. He didn’t move or blink as he waited.

The head scientist gave her a wide smile. “You did it! Now our plan can’t fail.”

Though she was curious, she decided she’d rather not know what their plan was. “What do you need from me now, sir?”

He took her arm and led her to another table. “Lie down. We need data on you.”

She nodded and did as she was told. 

He injected her with a sedative, turning away to speak to someone.

She tried to stay conscious but soon everything blacked out. 

“Andy? Darlin open your eyes please.”

She was confused at the voice but obeyed and opened them. 

Tet’s face was inches away from hers, his eyes relieved. His face was bruised, one eye swollen shut, his lip split. “Nice to see those blue eyes again.”

She looked around quickly, “What’s happening?”

“No clue. They dumped you in here a few hours ago.” Ryon gave her a weak smile from where he was propped up against one wall. Ryusei lay in his lap unconscious.

“They..they never let you go?” she said barely above a whisper.

Tet scowled, shaking his head. “We woke up, then they began using us as training dummies. Not sure how long we’ve been here.”

Andy’s breathing quickened, her mind racing.

“You alright darlin?” Tet cradled her close.

Her breathing was rapid, tears filling her eyes, “I should have listened to Jun.”

“Who is Jun?” Tet watched her, his face worried.

She started sobbing, unable to form coherent words.

The two of them exchanged glances.

Guards began shouting as the jail door suddenly burst open. There were the sounds of gunfire, then Kiba appeared, an unknown man beside him.

“Can’t leave you guys alone for a minute, can I?” Kiba blew the lock and yanked open the cell door.

Andy looked up through teary eyes. She then noticed the man and her eyes widened, “I’m sorry..”

The man gave her a soft smile. “Apologize later when we’re safe, okay?” He quickly turned and fired at a guard sneaking toward them.

Kiba looked at the porters. “Why aren’t they gone?”

Tet scowled. “They were given an inhibitor. They’re both hurt pretty bad. Darlin, can you get us out of here?”

She said a small healing spell for him to test her magic before she nodded. She wiped at her eyes before going to grab the porters.

Tet grabbed her arm, looking at Kiba.

The wolf shook his head. “Kai’s here waiting for us. See you at home.” He and the other man headed for the door, firing as they disappeared from view.

Andy quickly teleported the group to the infirmary. She got them all into beds before putting her doctor coat on and wiping her eyes again. She quickly got to work on saying healing spells, focusing completely on her job.

Tet wrapped his arms around her as she finished. “I’m so glad to see you safe darlin. I was terrified at what might have been happening.”

Andy nodded, “I don’t know what they did to me or how long I was out.”

“Whatever they did, we’ll handle it together.” Tet gave her a squeeze before moving to a chair. He looked at her and was about to speak when Kai ported in with Kiba and the other man.

The wolf was the only thing keeping the other on his feet, blood beginning to puddle on the floor from the other man’s injury. “A little help here?”

Andy went and helped get the man into a bed before spending the next hour on healing him. She checked him over again and made sure he was alright before looking at Kiba, “You okay?”

He nodded. “He took the hit for me. Who is he? All he said when I found him was he wasn’t leaving without you.”

“His name is Jun,” Andy replied quietly.

“I’m guessing you guys spent some time together.” Tet remarked, watching Jun sleep.

“Yeah, and I’d rather not talk about it,” she replied before putting her coat back where it belonged and heading out of the infirmary.

Kiba followed her, grabbing her around the waist and kissing her hard. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”

“How long were we gone?”

“Five months. Headquarters tried to declare you guys dead and we rioted. Boss told the brass to fuck off and told me as soon as Kei got a lock on you to make sure I brought all of you home.”

“Five months...? Are you serious?”

“Yeah..” He released her, his eyes darkening. “I’m a little hazy on the particulars since I lost my shit and ended up in an induced coma on Boss’ orders after I attacked some of the higher ups.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I only remember the first few days...”

“Damn.. I’m sorry. They pulled out all the stops at hiding you. Kei wasn’t even sure you were still alive until last week.”

Andy frowned, “How did he find me?”

“Something about your auras being linked or something due to that potion you made to save him. You should probably ask him when he wakes up. Between worry about Ryon and all the magic, he passed out.”

She nodded, “Did Branch attack at all while we were gone?”

Kiba’s eyes flashed angrily. “They killed..they taunted us..”

“Are some of our teammates dead still or did Kei use that potion to revive them?” She asked quietly.

“They’re still.. The potion revived them but it didn’t last. The gloves have been refined and he couldn’t..” 

Andy closed her eyes for a second before nodding, “I’ll come up with something.” She headed for the lab to start looking over the recipe.

Kei was already muttering to himself, his face drawn as he assembled ingredients. He didn’t seem to realize she was there.

“Kei?”

The witch jumped, his eyes going wide. “You’re safe...I thought I’d failed again.” He gave her a tight hug.

“I want to work on the revival potion, if you don’t mind me taking up part of the lab?”

“I was just doing that. I don’t know why it didn’t stay working..” His face fell and she could see the tremors in his hands as he let her go and leaned on the table.

“What if we mix it with revival energy instead of life force energy? Then I can also add more revival energy once we give it to them.. As long as I can still revive..” She looked down. 

“That might work..” Kei reached for an herb, then swayed. He gripped the table, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

“Go rest. I’ll focus on making it,” she said gently.

“My fault.. I..” He crumpled, losing consciousness.

Andy went and put him on a bed in the infirmary before going back to the lab. Two hours later she emerged with a gold glowing potion. 

Jun watched her, his eyes confused. “What is that? And where am I?” 

“You’re in the infirmary of our base. And this is a potion I hope will bring back my friends..”

He raised an eyebrow as Tsukasa walked in slowly.

“Andy? You’re a happy sight.”

She gave him a small smile, “Hey.”

“That for them?” His voice was hesitant.

“Where are they?”

He led her to another room where several beds were covered.

Andy took a deep breath and started to uncover them.

The phoenix twins, Shouma, Daiki and finally Yamae lay exposed.

Tsukasa stared sadly at the bodies. “Kei went off the rails. We had to stay away from him for awhile. Then he threw himself into trying to find you. Akasa had to restrain him because he stopped eating and sleeping.”

Andy nodded before getting to work. She poured some of the potion into each of them before focusing her revival energy on them. Gold light shone around the bodies and she prayed it would work.

The bodies jerked as they gulped air. Slowly, they calmed, settling into sleep.

Andy checked them over before heading back out of the room.

Tet was snoring, his head thrown back as he reclined in a chair. Jun gave her a smile. “Does he always sleep like that?”

“Not usually,” she watched Tet for a moment.

Jun gave a chuckle, then sat up. “Before you say anything, I don’t blame you. So I don’t need an apology. I’m just wondering what happens now to me.”

“You’re welcome to stay here. We always find the room for new people. But if you have somewhere you came from that you want to go back to, we can help you get there.” She sighed, “And I blame me. They never released the three taken with me, they came after my friends, and even killed a few of them. Luckily I’m a necromancer, but it doesn’t matter, they lost a large chunk of time because I didn’t even attempt to escape.” She looked down, “And apparently we were there for five months and I only remember the first few days of it.”

Jun dropped his eyes. “Can a jail cell be called home?”

“I wouldn’t say so,” she frowned. “One of us can show you to a room.”

Tet jerked, losing his balance and hitting the floor. “Oww.” His eyes met hers sheepishly.

She gave him a small smile, “Why don’t you show Jun to an empty room?”

He stood slowly. “He’s staying? Thought he’d be going back to headquarters..”

Jun grimaced, ducking beneath the blanket.

“Yes, he’s staying,” Andy answered as she watched him.

Tet gave a wince at the reaction. “Shit.. I shouldn’t have said that, huh?”

“Jun? You’ll be okay here. We aren’t making you go back,” Andy said gently. “At least if I have anything to say about it.”

He pulled the blanket down, looking at Tet. “You recognized me. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Tet rubbed his neck nervously. “You were obviously trying to lie low..”

Andy watched them quietly.

Jun smiled wryly. “Go ahead and tell her.” 

Tet hesitated for a moment, then spoke. “Andy, meet General Katshiro’s first born son.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Seriously?”

“According to the DNA.” Jun’s smile was soft. “I’m also a world class troublemaker, hence the jail comment. If they haven’t declared  _ me _ dead after two years..” 

“Two years? Was all that time at Branch?”

“Yeah. My squad was wiped out in a sneak attack. I was captured and they went nuts when they found out I couldn’t be broken. They tried everything, even used their necromancer a few times..” He trailed off as he saw Andy’s expression. “Sorry..”

She looked down, “I’m sorry I found them a way.”

He climbed off the bed and lifted her chin. “I said no apologies. One question, where’s the kitchen?”

Andy gave Tet a look, “If all of us have been gone, who’s been feeding the team...?” 

He looked thoughtful. “Probably eating ration bars.”

“I definitely have to go grocery shopping... Though last time we went to do that is when we got taken... I wish Branch would quit ruining our lives. I’ve probably lost over a year to them at this point..” She shook her head, “Come on, I’ll find you something to eat.”

Jun and Tet followed her out, Tet grabbing Kai as he walked by and whispering in his ear. The porter nodded, then vanished.

“So exactly what are you all?” Jun asked as they walked.

“Like shifters and stuff? We have shifters, porters, vamps, witches,” Andy answered.

“The whole team? I’ve run into one or two on a squad but not a whole team..” He looked a little shocked.

“Yep. Started as military’s experimental group. And we have multiple kinds of shifters too. Tet here is a tiger.”

Jun eyed Tet with apprehension. “You aren’t going to eat me, are you?”

Tet started laughing, stopping in the hall as he bent double.

“No one here will eat you,” Andy chuckled, “I normally make sure the team is well fed. And we get blood deliveries in for the vamps.”

Jun looked sheepish. “I sound like an idiot.”

Andy gave him a small smile, “Not at all. Come on.” She headed into the kitchen and found some uncooked pasta and started heating it up. She then grabbed a bag of blood out of the fridge and bit into it, sucking it down as she waited for the water to boil.

Tet gave her a kiss. “Kai’s doing your shopping.” He sat down as Jun entered.

The soldier froze, watching her. “I thought you were a witch?”

“Born a witch and necromancer. Then Branch turned me into their fucked up weapon making me a vampire and a shifter with three different shifts.”

“I feel under gifted. I don’t think I have anything to offer you guys.” He sat down, staring at the table in silence.

“Your gift can come in handy. And believe me when I say, the more gifts you have, the more people come after you. You don’t want all of this.”

Tet looked at them. “What is his gift?”

“He’s immune to psychic attacks. Can’t be controlled by a necro or a vamp. Unfortunately Branch now has a potion recipe to control him...” She looked away, back at the stove. 

Tet whistled. “One hell of a gift to have.”

Kiba spoke from the door. “Branch has nothing anymore. So quit the pity party.” He walked in and sat down beside Jun. “You forgot to tell her, didn’t you?”

Andy finished up the pasta and plated it up, passing some out to the three men in silence.

“We vaporized that lab. Not a damn thing was salvageable when we finished. So those assholes are back to being frustrated.” Kiba began eating.

Andy nodded and made her own plate, sitting down and starting to eat. 

Jun ate hurriedly, then ran out of the kitchen.

Andy looked at the door in confusion, “What was his rush?”

Kiba and Tet exchanged glances. “No idea.”

Andy finished up her food then headed out of the kitchen to see if she could find him.

He was slumped in a corner, his face tear streaked and his hands bloody. The wall above was marked by fist sized holes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Andy crouched down and said a healing spell to help his hands.

“You should be furious at me.. Yet you act more guilty.”

“Why would I be furious?”

“Your friends.. They were hurt because of me. You had them in your head and I was too fixated on trying to escape that I didn’t help you.. You shouldn’t be so nice.. You should just kill me again.”

“What do you mean again..?” Andy asked quickly.

He paled, trying to squeeze into the wall. “The potion wore off and I started fighting. They had you under their control. They ordered you to kill me slowly.. Then you revived me. That’s when whatever they did stopped working. They had to drug you and took you away. I didn’t know what happened until your friend found me and dragged me to the jail.”

Andy’s hands shook but her voice stayed monotone and even, “What else did they make me do?”

He shook his head. “They were talking about sending you out. But it never happened because you broke the control. Before that, they focused on using you to control me. The potion made me receptive but only to you for some reason.”

Andy stood, “I’m sorry. And no, they weren’t hurt because of you. They were hurt because I didn’t do enough.” She turned and quickly disappeared from the room.

He chased after her. “They  _ were  _ hurt because of me. I’m the one who was beating them up.. The first potion acted different. It let anyone control me. So the head had me beat your friends. When that potion wore off, I refused and they killed me. Apparently, you were under control and when you remade the potion, something changed and I would only respond to you. It’s my fault, not yours.”

“It’s not like you were in control of yourself. I doubt you’d hurt them on purpose, which is why I don’t blame you.”

“It goes double for you then.” He turned away. “I’m a bad reminder. I should have died and stayed dead.”

“You aren’t a bad reminder. I’m glad you’re here and alive. I’d feel even worse if you were dead. What  _ is  _ a bad reminder? Me. I’m not even sure how these five months will affect me yet, but this is at least the third time Branch has taken me. Every time I shift, or get a craving for blood, I’m reminded of them and everything they’ve done to me or made me do.” She had tears in her eyes, “So don’t you  _ dare _ say you should have stayed dead. If anything, I should be. If I hadn’t been there to make a potion, they wouldn’t have been able to control you. If they hadn’t been after me, I doubt my friends would have been taken. Yeah, I’m always here to find a way to bring everyone back, but I wonder how many less times they would have died if I wasn’t here.” She shook her head and turned, running off and disappearing down another hall.

Jun stared in silence before heading for the base gate. He ran into the forest, not caring where he was going. He kept running until he reached the edge of the cliff, then he paused. For a minute he stared into the horizon. Then he stepped off the edge.

Andy paced for a minute in her room before teleporting to the forest. She shifted into snake form and found a hole in a tree to hide in. She was trying not to think of everything but she couldn’t stop all of the memories from Branch filling her head. She was glad she didn’t remember killing Jun, but she also knew she’d end up having nightmares of it anyway. She curled up, hiding in the darkness of the tree. 

She could hear Tet calling both her and Jun’s name, then a horrified yell.

Andy frowned, turning into a hawk and flying over to where she heard the yell from. She froze when she saw Jun. She flew down to him and reverted back to her human form. She cursed at him explosively before starting on healing spells. 

His eyes were glassy, unfocused as blood spread around his head. It trickled from his lips as he whispered “Let me die..”

“No. I refuse,” Andy answered before focusing her revival energy on him to heal him quicker. Silver light soon surrounded him. “Please don’t do this again. I’ll just make sure you keep getting revived.”

“Better..to let me go.. I’m not one of you.”

“I already told you, you’re staying here, which makes you one of us. You might just want to accept that.”

He tried to chuckle, but his eyes were dimming and all that came out was a faint wheeze.

Andy focused harder, the light growing brighter around him.

He arched his back, the light entering his chest. A red light began mingling with the silver.

Andy stared in confusion but continued to try to heal him.

The red light vanished, the silver doing the same soon after. Jun lay still, his breathing steady and his wounds healed.

Tet suddenly appeared beside her. “How is he?” A basket stretcher lay nearby.

“He should be okay now. Might want to restrain him until we know he’s in better mental health..” she sighed. “We need to hire a psychiatrist for the team, honestly..”

“This wasn’t an accident?” Tet’s eyes were dark. “He  _ deliberately _ did this?”

“We were talking, and.. I didn’t think he’d do this.. But I ran off with my own issues when I should have been making sure he was okay..” Andy said quietly, tears in her eyes.

“Stop it. He did this, not you.” Tet scowled. “I should have seen it coming. He’s been in Branch’s hands for two years. He’s bound to be messed up mentally, especially with what happened to us. Then I called him out on his parentage.” He carefully lifted Jun, placing him into the stretcher and waving into the air. Hiroki was shifted, a large eagle like bird in the sky flying upward.

Tet drew her in for a hug. “I wish I could take your pain away. I feel so selfish..”

“I’ll be fine.. I always am, right?” She tried to smile.

He gave a shake of his head. “This is my fault. If I had stayed away after I left.. You would still be at the clinic. You’d have been safe and normal. Normal for you, I mean.” He chuckled softly. “I couldn’t stay away..and look what’s happened. I don’t deserve you.” He shifted, running as fast as he could away from her.

Andy quickly shifted, chasing after him until she got close enough to pounce on him and stop him from moving.  _ “Will you stop it about that? It was years ago. I chose to stay here. I love you and you know, it really doesn’t help my mental health having to run after all of you who keep having pity parties.” _

_ “You stayed because I came back. Then you got on Branch’s radar because you were here. You would be safer away from us..”  _ His voice was tear choked, the tiger making soft crying noises.

_ “Shut up.” _ She smacked him in the face with her paw, careful not to claw him. “ _ All this blaming ourselves stuff needs to stop. It doesn’t matter. Branch could have found me anyway, just like Seltain did. And at this point, I wouldn’t be any safer because they already want me. So just fucking stop and accept that I’m here, I’m staying, and it’s not your fault.” _

He slowly shifted, keeping his face averted. “You could disappear. Boss would help you. Sooner or later, Branch would give up and you would be safe.”

_ “Is that what you want? Me to disappear?” _

He finally looked at her, his eyes filled with anguish. “Of course not. But if it would make you safe.. Screw my feelings.”

_ “There’s no way to be one hundred percent safe. I wish you’d just stop. I figured by now you’d get that I’d rather be here with you and Kiba and deal with anything bad that happens than to not be with you guys at all. And everytime something bad happens, I spend my time having to calm you down and convince you it’s not your fault instead of actually dealing with things. I wish you’d just get it through your head one of these days. Not everything that happens to me is your fault or connected to things you’ve done.” _

“We could fake your death. Set you up in a different city. You’d be safe..” Tet spoke rapidly. “You would be free..”

_ “You know, for how much you say you love me, you sure love trying to push me away, don’t you?” _ The panther finally moved off of him and started walking away. 

Tet lay there, then roared in fury and pain. He slammed his fists into the ground as he began to sob. They were deep, heart rending cries as he pummeled the forest floor as if beating an invisible enemy.

Andy finally reverted back as she arrived back at the base. She soon found Kiba, “You always tell me to get my shit together. Why don’t you tell Tet the same, maybe he’ll listen to it from you.”

“What happened? Where is he?” 

“He’s somewhere in the forest if he’s still where I left him. I’m just so sick of him blaming himself for shit that’s happened to me. He keeps trying to tell me to move away, go to a different city and I’ll be safer. I’m so fucking sick of him trying to push me away. I have my own shit to deal with right now, I can’t always be the one trying to help care for everyone else. Tet’s struggling, Jun threw himself off a fucking cliff, I obviously am not very helpful today.” She said angrily.

“They tortured him, did you know that?” Ryon’s voice was soft as he leaned against a wall. “They showed him what they were doing to you. They told him they had had no interest in you until you returned after Seltain. They were interested in who could possibly break through his defenses and make him so protective.That was before they turned him over to their necro.”

“That still doesn’t mean he should be pushing me away,” Andy sighed. “But maybe  _ he’d _ be safer if I wasn’t here.”

“It will kill him. You didn’t see him during the five months we were hostage. Everytime he was revived and you weren’t you.. He forced them to kill him over and over because he refused to be alive while you were like that. The last time they revived him, he tried to make you kill him. That’s when the control broke.” Ryon pushed himself to stand. “Not trying to tell you what to do, just telling you the facts.” He vanished without another word.

Andy was silent for a minute then looked up at Kiba, “Can you go find him and make sure he’s alright?”

The wolf nodded, shifting and running for the woods.

Andy slowly headed to her room, overwhelmed by all the information she’d taken in that day. She laid on her bed and curled up, starting once more to cry. 

Kiba cursed as he reverted, having found no sign of Tet. He slammed a fist into a tree trunk, trying to think of where he could have gone. Finally he conceded defeat and headed back to base, avoiding Andy’s room.

Tet shakily raised the glass to his lips, knocking back the shot with a grimace. It burned his throat and he could only wish it was real fire. He sighed, threw some money on the bar and walked unsteadily outside. He began to walk, not caring where he ended up. Suddenly, he fell off the curb. He saw a brief glimpse of headlights and felt a dull pain, then the world went dark.

Andy ended up crying herself to sleep. She slept for hours, only waking when she had a nightmare. She covered herself with the blanket and forced herself back to sleep, not wanting to deal with anything.

The next morning, she heard subdued voices outside her door.

“Should we even tell her?”

“She’d go ballistic on us if we don’t.”

“She’s unstable. And after yesterday..” Kiba’s voice was thick with grief. “She could very well do something we can’t fix..”

Andy pushed herself out of bed, looking disheveled. She opened the door, “What happened?”

Kei and Daiki froze, Kiba refusing to meet her eyes. “Tet’s dead.”

Andy tried to process the information, “What happened?”

“Apparently, he got plastered at a nearby bar and got hit by a car. He refused to go to the hospital and walked away. Early this morning, Boss got a call from a detective. Tet got into an altercation with what is left of that shifter gang he took out last year. They tortured and killed him. They dropped his body on the cop’s doorstep.”

She stared at him numbly, “Where is he?”

“Boss sent Akasa and Ryon to bring him home.”

Andy nodded, “Let me know when he’s back.” She shut the door again and sat on the bed, staring at the wall. 

Ten minutes later, there was a hesitant knock.

Andy sighed and pushed herself up again. She opened the door to see who it was. 

Ryon stood looking at the floor. His shoulders were shaking and she realized he was crying.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s in the infirmary.. I want to kill them!” His words were spit out, rage vying with grief.

Andy nodded, “Don’t go doing anything stupid, okay?” She headed to the infirmary and started looking Tet over.

He’d been slashed and stabbed repeatedly. There were cigarette burns on his arms and legs. His face was swollen, almost unrecognizable. There were a set of deep stab wounds around his heart and she realized someone had tried to cut it out. The M.E. had cleaned him up, the lack of blood making him look like a disfigured toy someone had dropped. 

Andy spent several hours going between actual surgery and using healing spells. She eventually got him pretty well healed up and set up a transfusion. She stared at him while she waited for the bag to empty. When it finally was done, she focused, gold light surrounding him.

When she was sure he was breathing, she looked around the room for a moment before sitting in the chair next to him, staring blankly at his chest rising and falling.

Akasa came in, Kei following. The witch was carrying an unconscious Ryon, who he laid on a bed as the nurse attached restraints to the porter. Kei sighed as Akasa left the room.

Andy finally looked up, “What happened?”

“He tried to leave. Said he was going hunting. We sedated him.”

Andy nodded slowly then went back to staring at Tet.

“How are you doing?” Kei approached and began to massage her shoulders.

“I don’t know, honestly,” she admitted.

He paused, moving to crouch in front of her. “It’s alright to be broken. With everything that’s happened in the past few days, it’s natural to need help. You just have to ask. We’re here for you.”

“I just feel like.. I’m always the strong one. And as soon as I’m not, bad things happen, like Jun and Tet.. I couldn’t help them enough..”

_ “Stop it right now. _ You aren’t to blame for Jun or Tet. They  _ chose _ to do the stupid things they did. Jun  _ chose  _ to jump, you didn’t push him. He obviously has issues stemming from his captivity. Tet.. well he  _ chose _ to drink himself stupid. If he’d gone with the EMTs, he wouldn’t have run into the gang, if he didn’t actually start anything. Knowing him, he probably instigated the fight.” 

Kei hugged her close, kissing the top of her head softly. “Just stop trying to bear everyone else’s problems, okay? Listening  _ does not _ mean you have to fix us.”

Andy gave a small smile, “I’m a doctor, I’m supposed to fix things.”

“Fixing bodies is not the same thing as shrinking heads. You know that.” The witch’s eyes twinkled as he chuckled.

Andy nodded. “I know. I just seem to be the group caretaker, so I try to help any way I can, even if it’s an inconvenience to me. I don’t know how to stop that..” She was quiet for a moment before sighing, “I’ve never fully dealt with the things I’ve gone through. I always end up focusing on the others and pushing my problems to the back. And now, after going through even more.. I just don’t know what to do, you know?”

He sighed as he sat down beside her. “Give yourself time. You just got back, you need to process everything. You--”

His words were cut off as a bright light flared from the direction of Jun’s bed.

Andy looked over in confusion.

Kei stood and approached, then turned to her. “Andy, what the hell.. He’s glowing..”

Andy shrugged, “He was glowing earlier, when I revived him, he had a red light then too.”

Jun suddenly levitated off the bed, the light quickly being sucked back into him. A minute later, he opened his eyes in confusion.

“What the fuck was that glowing and levitating..?” Andy stared at him in equal confusion.

“I-I don’t know..” The soldier looked at her in fear. “I can feel the power inside me..it’s trying to get out.  _ Help me _ ..”

Andy nodded, “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.” She gave him a small smile.

Kei slowly approached, his eyes glowing as he looked Jun over. After a few minutes, he returned to normal and gave Jun a reassuring smile. He turned to Andy, dropping the smile and inclining his head toward the lab.

Andy stood and headed in there, “What’s wrong?”

“Not sure how to say this. Our stray is bursting with at least two types of power. One is flowing freely, though he probably has never given a second thought to it. The other.. It’s been sealed within him. I think you loosened the seal when you revived him. It wants out..”

“Is it bad energy though? I mean, can we remove the seal?”

Kei frowned. “I don’t know what will happen. His aura is strange. I can readily identify the earthwitch markers but the other, the closest I can compare it to is  _ you _ . But different somehow.”

Andy frowned, “Let me see what I can figure out.” She sighed and headed back out to Jun. She focused on him, trying to get a sense of the energy. After a few minutes she sighed once more before saying a spell to help her identify the sealing spell. She soon said a counterspell to try to remove the seal entirely and watched to see what would happen.

Jun’s eyes went wide, glowing red as his body was encased in a red barrier. He uttered a cry as the barrier got brighter and then shattered. His eyes returned to normal, then rolled up as he collapsed on the bed.

Andy got him situated in a better position before going back to sit by Tet.

Kei emerged, his eyes fearful. “Andy, I just did a spell using Jun’s blood. He’s not Katshiro’s kid. He’s Seltain’s.”

Andy froze. “So the energy is his necromancer energy.. and if Seltain was thousands of years old.. how old is Jun really? Would Seltain keep him living longer and him not know it? And why would Seltain want me if he had his own necromancer kid?” She shook her head, “Doesn’t matter.. He seems to have no idea. I wonder how he’ll take it.”

Kei shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s scared though. Could Seltain have been hiding him, possibly as part of a plan? Like a trump card if he needed it?” 

“I don’t know..” she sighed, “but I’ll tell him everything when he wakes up.”

“Darlin? Am I dead?” Tet’s voice was low, the words frightened.

“You’re alive in the infirmary. Okay?”

He looked at her, then ducked his head as tears began to fall.

“Hey, it’s alright, don’t cry.” She wiped away some of the tears.

“You were angry and you left.. I was sure you didn’t want to see me.” His breath hitched as his crying intensified. 

“I’m sorry I got angry and left,” she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m just trying to process everything and it seemed like you were pushing me away..” 

“I just don’t want to see you like you were there...so blank..I couldn’t take it! I kept coming back, praying you would be there and every time it was the same…” He clutched her arm like he was drowning and she was his lifeline.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. 

He cried until he passed out in her arms.

She laid him back and kissed his forehead before moving back to the chair.

“You should sleep. I’ll stay here in case either of them wake.” Kei said gently.

Andy nodded and headed out in the hall. She slowly walked toward her room, thoughts running a mile a minute. She struggled to get to sleep, her mind not wanting to shut off. Eventually she got a few hours, waking to a nightmare and unable to get back to sleep. She stood in the shower until the water ran cold before she finally got dressed and headed back to the infirmary.

Jun was tossing and turning, Kei trying to keep him from falling. The witch looked up and sighed in relief. “Nothing I do will wake him or stop his thrashing.”

Andy nodded and recited a spell, Jun finally settling into a more restful sleep. “If he doesn’t wake on his own in a bit, I’ll get him up.”

Kei relaxed, then looked at her. “You didn’t sleep much. You want me to make you a sleep potion?”

She shook her head, “Not yet. We’ll see how the next few nights go first.”

He gave her a look, but dropped the subject. “Tet’s out. I was actually surprised he woke at all.”

Andy nodded, “Go get some sleep. I’ll take over here.”

Kei scowled, but left quietly.

Andy sat where she could watch both of them, taking some time to enjoy the quiet.


	34. Chapter 34

“No! I won’t do it! Leave me alone!” Jun was fighting, his hands slashing at the empty air. His eyes were squeezed shut, his breathing rapid.

Andy approached slowly, “Jun? It’s okay. You’re safe.”

“I can’t fight him..no, stop..” He was shaking as he tried to curl in on himself.

Andy put a hand on him gently, “It’s alright. It’s not happening right now. You don’t have to worry.”

His eyes shot open and he looked at her in confusion. “What was I doing?”

“I don’t know if you were having a nightmare or were seeing memories, but you were freaking out. But everything is alright.”

“Oh.. You saved me..why?”

“Because you’re my friend.”

“You barely know me.. You should get away from me..” Jun backed up on the bed. “I don’t want to hurt you..” His hands began to glow as he looked at her in horror. “No..I don’t want to…”

“It’s alright,” she took one of his hands. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“You should be..” A blast of power knocked her back as Jun’s eyes glowed. He spoke again, but it was Seltain’s voice that came out. “You are finally mine..now die!” The blasts started coming faster, always aimed at her. 

She put up a barrier to try to block them as she tried to figure out what to do. She didn’t want to hurt Jun but couldn’t think of any options. “Seltain? What are you doing to him?”

“I sealed part of my power when I sealed his. He is my true successor. His mother stole him, hid him from me.” Seltain’s voice dripped with venom as he spoke. “But I found him after you abandoned me..But he refused me, fought his birthright. I was forced to wait. Then you and your freaks killed me..But now he’s awake and I can have my revenge!” Jun began to laugh madly.

Andy growled, “Let him go. He wants no part in this.”

“He’s mine!! I won’t free him!” Jun/Seltain sneered at her. “If you want him, take him.. If you can, that is.”

Andy took a deep breath and yelled for Akasa. “Get everyone to safety.” She stared at Jun, trying to think of a way to take him down. 

Vines suddenly appeared, pinning Jun’s arms as they encased him. 

Andy focused a killing spell on him, praying it would take them down.

The vines snapped, Jun aiming a blast at Kei who was muttering another spell. The blast threw the witch into the wall viciously.

Kei slid down, his body laying crumpled as Jun laughed again.

Then Jun stiffened and he coughed, blood spattering the floor. He looked angrily at Andy.

Andy said another spell quickly, trying to kill the body. She prayed she’d find a way to just revive Jun and not Seltain when she brought him back.

Seltain yelled in fury. Jun quickly grabbed a scalpel and slashed his wrists then his throat. He began falling as the blood pulsed out.

Andy went to him, gently laying him down.

He tried to speak, but was rapidly losing consciousness. “I-I’m..” His eyes closed and he went still.

Andy backed up, tears filling her eyes as her breathing quickened. She tried to process everything that just happened, the shock of Seltain having been back and the fact that she killed Jun hit her hard. 

Akasa slowly entered, his face grim. “Andy? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, finally getting enough air to speak, “Check on Kei.”

“I already did. I can’t help him.” Akasa stared at Jun. “What the fuck happened?”

“Seltain..” Andy said, barely above a whisper.

“Shit.. Andy, sit down. You’re as white as a ghost.” He pushed her into a chair, then got sheets and covered the bodies. He crouched beside her, a worried look on his face. “Maybe you need a sedative?”

Andy shook her head as she tried to stop her hands from shaking. “I need to help them.”

“Will that bring insane necro back? Maybe you shouldn’t.”

“Jun deserves a chance at life.. There has to be a way..”

Akasa sighed, then nodded. “Why don’t you help Kei first. Then he could help you?”

Andy nodded slowly, pushing herself up and going to Kei. She moved him to a bed and started on healing up any injuries before focusing on reviving him.

His eyes shot open, darting around the room. “Where is he?” He focused on her and breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re okay…”

“Why don’t you rest some more? Then when you’re alright we can see if we can figure out how to help Jun..”

The earthwitch nodded sadly. “He must be so scared and confused..”

“Well, we need to see if we can find a way to revive him without reviving Seltain.. I hope we can figure it out.” Andy moved to sit in a chair.

Kei lay staring at the ceiling for awhile, then pushed himself up and slowly moved toward the lab.

Andy continued to sit in the chair, her mind still trying to grasp what happened. After a while, she got up and went to the lab, silently starting to look through the books.

Kei was muttering to himself, adding various things to a test tube. A sickly green yellow potion bubbled gently and he gave a small smile. He added something, watching as it turned a deep purple. He gave Andy a thumbs up, then began to recite a spell.

The potion began to boil, then calmed. Kei triumphantly capped it, then looked at her. “This should get rid of the bastard once and for all.”

“Hopefully. Let’s go try it..” she sighed.

“This is the dangerous part. You have to revive them both before I give it. Only way to know it works. We should probably restrain him.”

Andy nodded and headed out to the infirmary, looking Jun over and working on healing his wounds and giving him a transfusion before restraining him. She then focused on him, gold light surrounding him.

A few seconds passed, then his eyes flew open. The red irises glowed and he snarled at her.

“Hello.” Kei forced his mouth open and poured the potion down. “And goodbye, you utter fucking bastard.”

Jun began to shake, then convulse. He let out several grunts, then Seltain screamed. Jun’s eyes glowed brightly, then closed. His head fell to the side.

Andy watched him for a while, seeing if anything else would happen. She glanced at Kei, “What energy do you see in him now?”

The earthwitch looked him over carefully. “It’s blue now. No sign of red. I think we did it.”

Jun stirred with a groan. “What the hell just happened to me?”

“We got rid of Seltain.”

He blanched. “I’m sorry… I couldn’t stop…”

“It’s alright. We don’t blame you at all. Seltain’s an asshole, it’s all his fault. Okay?” Andy said gently. “I’m glad you’re safe now.”

He turned confused eyes to her. “What am I?”

“You’re a witch and a necromancer,” she gave him a soft smile, “And we will be here to teach you how to use your powers.”

Kei grinned. “Finally I get to share my knowledge.” He gave Jun’s shoulder a soft pat. 

“I know this is probably a lot to take in, but we will be here to help,” Andy added.

“I don’t know if I want to learn to use them…” Jun stared at his hands. “I tried to kill you..”

“That was Seltain’s fault, _ not yours _ .” She sighed, “And I kind of know how you feel. But I always see it as, if you can help others with your power, you should use it. But we won’t make you. You’re part of our group now whether you want to use your powers or not. We just want you safe and happy.”

“Darlin? Is it safe to come in?” Tet’s voice sounded in the hall.

“Yeah, you can come in,” Andy answered. 

He slowly entered, his eyes worried. “Everything okay?”

She nodded and gave him a small smile.

He noticed Jun and gave him a smile. “Nice to see you up. You gave us a scare.”

Andy gave Jun a smile, “See? We care about you.”

He gave her a slow smile in response.

Tet gave her a kiss. “Kai got the groceries, so I cooked. Come and eat, you four.”

Andy nodded and held her hand out to Jun to help him up.

He rose, looking from one face to another. “How can you just accept me like this?”

Andy shrugged, “It’s just what we do. We know nothing was your fault, so we don’t blame you.”

Kei grabbed his shoulders, steering him toward the hall. “Eat first, ask questions later. We need to get to the kitchen before my brothers empty it of all edibles.”

Andy walked slowly, staring at the floor. 

Tet wrapped an arm around her. “Penny for your thoughts..”

“Just thinking about everything.. Branch keeps coming back. Seltain came back.. Can we ever really get away from everything?”

He squeezed her softly. “Been asking myself that for years. I know we wouldn’t have stood a chance without you.”

Andy sighed, “I doubt I did  _ that  _ much.” She gave him a small smile, “Let’s go get some food before it’s gone, okay?” She started heading toward the kitchen.

He gave her a look that said they weren’t done talking and followed.

She got herself a plate and started slowly picking it at as she looked around at her friends.

Everyone was laughing and joking around, Ryusei and Yamae throwing breadsticks at each other.

She had a small smile as she watched them, then went back to staring at her plate.

Tet and Kiba exchanged worried glances, then they slid beside her. 

“You’ll get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that.” Kiba cracked.

She looked over at him and tried to smile, “Sorry. Just lost in thought.”

“Maybe Kei can whip up something like magic Botox?” Tet asked, a teasing smile on his face.

She gave a quiet chuckle in response.

Kiba looked thoughtful. “You think he can make enough to keep up with all the frowning she does?”

“I don’t frown  _ that  _ much,” Andy said defensively.

“You’ve had one permanently since you returned.” Kiba gave her a look.

“Sorry..” she looked back down.

As one, they grabbed her and Tet murmured under his breath. They appeared in their shared room, Andy being deposited on the bed.

“Spill. Why do you look like you’ve just been told your services are no longer required?”

Andy shook her head, “I’m just trying to process the Branch thing and then we had to deal with Seltain today and it’s all just a lot.”

“What the fuck? How the hell did you deal with Seltain?” Both shifters stared at her in shock.

“Jun’s his son. He sealed part of himself in Jun and when I revived him it loosened the seal.. We’ve dealt with it though and Seltain should be gone now.”

“Jun’s his  _ son _ ? Fucking hell Andy. Is he like you? Is he dangerous?” Tet’s eyes flashed for a moment.

“He’s an earth witch and a necromancer, but he isn’t sure he even wants to use his powers. He’s not dangerous.”

They both sighed in relief. 

“He’s got to be messed up. We need to show him he’s welcome and trusted.” Tet said quietly.

Andy nodded, “I know. We’ve been trying.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to seem depressed. I just need some time.”

Both shifters embraced her and kissed her cheeks. “If you need to talk..”

“Thanks,” she gave them a small smile. 

There was a frantic knock at the door.

Andy went and answered it.

Kei was supporting Jun. The new necromancer was rapidly aging, his body shaking.

Andy stared in confusion, “Is this a side effect of the potion?”

“I don’t know. You did ask how old Jun really was. Maybe this is the answer.”

Andy quickly grabbed a paper and started writing words down before putting her hand on Jun’s chest. She placed a sealing spell on him, the spell, she hoped, would keep him young.

His features quickly reverted to what she was familiar with, his breathing becoming steady.

Kei exhaled sharply, tightening his hold as Jun passed out.

“Get him in the infirmary. I’ll run some tests on him in a bit.” 

Kiba helped the witch move Jun, disappearing down the hall as Tet scowled.

“So obviously he isn’t as young as we thought.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll figure it all out,” she sighed as she collapsed onto the bed.

“Why don’t you let Kei and Akasa work on it. You look beat. Let’s nap.” Tet laid down, cuddling close to her.

She nodded again, before kissing his cheek and settling into the bed.

“Just relax. We’ll straighten everything out.” He murmured, his voice soft.


	35. Chapter 35

This ch is 100% sex filled so if you don’t want to read it, skip ahead to the next chapter!

  
  


Andy entered the gym, spotting Kiba and Tet sparring. She watched them in silence for a few minutes before getting their attention, “Hey.” She smirked, “Want a different way to get exercise?”

They stopped, their eyes lighting up impishly.

“I’m guessing you have a suggestion..” Tet looked at her hungrily.

“Well I  _ do _ have that outfit I bought before we got taken..” she winked.

“Oh darlin…” Tet’s voice went husky as Kiba gave her a suggestive look.

“I’ll see you in our room if you’re up for it.” She headed out of the gym.

Kiba looked at Tet incredulously. “Did she just challenge us?”

Tet licked his lips. “Let’s go.”

They quickly showered, then headed for the room. Tet opened the door slowly, anticipation making his breathing heavy.

Andy quickly slipped blindfolds onto them with a chuckle and pushed them into the room. 

Both men’s breathing sped up even more, their pants beginning to bulge.

Andy handcuffed their hands behind their back, then pushed Tet onto his back on the bed. She slipped his pants off, kissing his thighs before sliding his boxers off too. She then did the same to Kiba. “Now the question is, who should get my attention first?” She grabbed at their dicks teasingly.

Tet inhaled sharply, a jolt of desire making him twitch as Kiba moaned.

Andy readied a small vibrating device and lubed it up, slowly slipping it into Tet’s hole. She turned it on and watched him for a moment.

He stiffened, moaning as his dick stood straight up. He began to move his hips slowly and panted “Darlin.. You’re so bad..”

Andy smirked before turning Kiba over. She positioned him with his hips up, then lubed up the strap on that she had. She grabbed onto the handcuffs to pull on Kiba’s arms before thrusting into him. She waited a moment for him to adjust to the feeling.

“Oh god.. That feels so good..” He rocked back and forth slowly.

Andy started off slowly, gradually increasing her speed. She turned up the speed on Tet’s device before growling, “Do you want to see what I’m doing to Kiba?”

“Y-yes..” He stuttered as he rocked his hips upwards.

“Then beg for it.”

“Please.. Let me see.. Let me see what you’re doing..” His voice was husky as he struggled to slow his breathing.

Andy reached over and removed the blindfold before increasing the speed of her thrusts.

Tet watched a moment, his hips moving faster. “Oh ...I'm going to cum!”

Andy reached over and stroked his throbbing dick for a moment until he released his load. She then turned off the vibrator before continuing her work with Kiba.

Kiba gasped, shuddering under her thrusts. He gave a choked cry as he convulsed, his dick pumping his load onto the blanket.

Andy smiled as she pulled out. She took a moment to clean up before slipping the blindfold back on Tet. She watched them for a minute as they caught their breaths.

“I think I have to revise my opinion of you, darlin. You’re still an angel, but I think you just fell.” Tet shook from residual aftershocks of pleasure.

Andy chuckled and pushed him back, placing rough kisses on his neck. 

He gave a small growl which turned into a purr as he pushed his neck up.

After a few minutes, she moved to Kiba and did the same, littering their necks with hickeys.

She then moved away, slowly starting to pleasure herself. She soon let out a soft moan. After a couple minutes she undid the blindfolds again, moving the handcuffs so their arms were hanging from the top of the bed frame. She then went back to pleasuring herself, “Whichever of you begs the best will get to join me.”

The men exchanged looks, then kept watching for a moment. 

“Darlin..please. I feel like I’m going to explode..” Tet’s dick was rock hard again, twitching as he watched her.

“I’m so hard..I need you.. Please..” Kiba’s voice was needy as he bucked his hips.

Andy smirked, “Oh you’re both pretty good at begging, aren’t you?”

“Yes” they answered in unison as they squirmed. 

Andy continued to feel herself, pulling a bullet out and rubbing it hard on her clit.

She bucked her hips before letting out a loud moan, her juices squirting out on the bed in front of them.

They both gave a moan and squirmed harder, their dicks throbbing.

Andy went over to Tet, slowly sliding herself onto his dick. She started moving quickly and moaning with pleasure.

He gasped, his hips beginning to move to her rhythm. His eyes were wild, filled with lust as he bucked against her.

She soon stopped moving, giving him a small wink before going over and sliding herself onto Kiba.

The wolf inhaled sharply, his dick almost impaling her with its hardness.

She rocked back and forth, soon increasing the speed. Not long after that she felt herself getting close so she moved faster, rubbing her clit with her fingers before finally squeezing tightly around him as she came with a loud gasp.

Kiba forgot to breathe as he felt her, his own orgasm taking over. He bucked wildly, his eyes rolling back as he lay limp on the bed.

Andy gave a small chuckle before moving back to Tet, “Having fun?”

He gave a muffled groan, raising his dick to her. “Darlin… you shouldn’t tease so much.”

She moved onto him, “Alright, no more teasing,” she moved her hips quickly, leaning down to rub his nipple with her thumb.

He groaned, his dick twitching as he gave a shudder.

She increased her speed, shaking as she began to orgasm. 

He cried her name as he came, shuddering violently.

She moved off of him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She took a few minutes to catch her breath. When she sat up, she noticed both men were asleep. She smiled and headed to shower. When she got back, she left them a note, “See you at dinner.” 

She then went to the kitchen and started preparing the food.

An hour later, they reappeared, looking chagrined. “You forgot the handcuffs..”

Tet gave her a look. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Andy chuckled, “I’m sorry.” She looked at their necks and smirked. 

“You should prepare yourself.” Kiba gave her a smirk.

“Somebody’s been having fun, I see.” Kei grinned mischievously. “Anyone get video?”

Andy rolled her eyes but laughed.

The two turned on the witch, chasing him around the kitchen as he continued making suggestive comments.

“Maybe I should use that all seeing potion?”

Andy chuckled, “Dinner’s ready. Settle down or you won’t get any.”

All three immediately sat down, trying to look innocent.

Andy plated them up some food and passed it out, then sat down in between Tet and Kiba, “You know, I  _ could  _ heal those..”

Tet gave her a pleading look. “Please do.. It’s bad enough dealing with Glinda here, the others would drive me to murder.”

Andy looked thoughtful, “Kinda like that they show you’re claimed though..”

“Then make everyone mute for the day?” Kiba smiled wryly.

Andy chuckled and said a healing spell, most of the marks disappearing. 

Both men gave her thankful looks as they ate.

Kei’s lips twisted. “You spoil them too much, Andy-chan.”

“Well maybe since I helped them, they won’t be as mad about being left in handcuffs,” she smirked.

Kei’s eyes widened as he looked at each of them in shock. “Didn’t expect that..”

Andy chuckled as she started eating.

Tet slunk over to her, hand slipping into her panties with an evil smile. “I’m looking forward to round two.” She felt something small slide into her.

She raised an eyebrow but smiled.

Tet waggled the remote, flicking it on low before resuming his previous seat and finishing his food.

Andy continued to eat, trying not to move her hips. She quickly finished eating and started working on the dishes, focusing her attention on that instead of the thing vibrating inside her.

Kiba elbowed Tet. “How long you think she’ll last?”

Tet grinned. “Let’s see.” He upped the speed and watched.

Andy turned to give him a glare before continuing on with the dishes.

Kiba snickered as Tet gave her an innocent grin.

Andy rolled her eyes. After a few minutes she was struggling not to let out a moan. 

The two men snuck up on her, one on each side. “Need some help, darlin?”

Andy chuckled, “Shut up.” 

Tet sighed, shaking his head as he turned the speed on full.

Andy squeezed the dish towel tightly as she tried to continue with the dishes. She was surprised she managed to stay silent and keep her shaking to a minimum as she came. 

Kiba whispered in her ear. “Ready when you are.” Then the two of them left the kitchen. The vibrator went silent.

Andy finished a few more dishes before heading back to their room.

She felt metal close around her wrists, then Tet’s voice in her ear. “You’ve been very naughty and must be punished.”

She chuckled in response.

The vibrator resumed its job as both men quickly stripped her. They pushed her onto the bed, Kiba holding a small gym bag.

She raised her eyebrows in confusion but stayed silent.

Tet slipped a blindfold on her. “No peeking.” He quickly unlocked the handcuffs, binding her hand and foot to the bed.

She soon felt another lubed vibrator slip into her back hole and begin pulsing.

She let out a moan and started moving her hips.

A pulsing pressure began on her clit.

She soon was trembling, letting out a gasp when she finally came.

The pulsing disappeared, the vibrators being removed. Suddenly both holes were filled by large dildos, and she felt someone begin to place their mouth on her clit. The dildos began to move slowly as the mouth began to lightly suck.

She let out a purr and bucked her hips.

As if waiting for it, the dildos sped up as the sucker increased the pressure.

She let out a cry as she came once more, her breathing hard.

The dildos ceased moving, and the mouth moved away. The blindfold was removed to show Tet.

He unbound her, then whispered in her ear. “I’m in the mood to make wolfboy scream our names. You in?”

She nodded with a small smile.

He grinned, quickly turning and slapping the handcuffs around Kiba’s wrists.

“Hey!” The wolf cried in surprise as Tet pushed him onto the bed.

Andy chuckled and looked at Tet, “What’s your plan?”

“I want to take him, but I want to tag team with you.”

Andy nodded, “Sounds good.”

Tet went to Kiba, kissing him roughly before flipping him onto his stomach. He pulled off his boxers one handed as he lubed his dick. Then he straddled him, thrusting into his hole in one smooth motion.

Kiba moaned and bucked as he adjusted.

Tet closed his eyes, setting a rhythm that had the wolf clawing the sheets as he brought him closer and closer. Then with a final thrust, Kiba howled, his dick releasing at the same time Tet began shaking.

Tet pulled away, winking at Andy.

Andy got the strap on ready, slipping behind Kiba and thrusting into him. She started slowly to let him catch his breath before speeding up.

Suddenly she felt Tet thrust into her and heard him chuckle. “You look too good.”

She moaned, thrusting harder into Kiba.

Tet matched her rhythm, his breath fast in her ear. “You make me lose control..”

Kiba began to shake as he neared orgasm.

Andy shook, trying to keep up the speed as she got close herself. 

Tet and Kiba cried out in tandem, trembling as they released.

The throbs from Tet cumming set her over the edge and she finally came again. She pulled out from Kiba and off of Tet, collapsing onto the bed.

Tet gave her a kiss as he lay down. “I only have one small complaint…”

“What’s that?” 

“When do I get to play with this?” He tapped the strap on softly.

Andy smirked, “You up for more?”

He grinned. “I remember telling you once that we shifters can take a lot of abuse before going down.”

Andy pushed herself up, “Alright then.” 

Kiba got off the bed, pushing Tet face down. He handcuffed his hands and positioned his legs, then bound them with a grin. “Turnabout is fair play.”

Andy chuckled before re-lubing the strap on. She then slid slowly into Tet’s hole.

He gave a gasp, then purred in pleasure. He slowly rolled his hips.

Andy smiled before speeding her rhythm.

Tet bucked, pleasure washing over him. He matched her speed, then began to tremble. “Darlin… I’m close..” His words turned into cries of ecstasy as he released. 

Andy smiled as she pulled out. 

“You’re amazing..” Kiba released the tiger before collapsing on the bed.


	36. Chapter 36

“Andy, have you seen my brothers or Kai lately?” Kei looked worried, his hands fidgeting.

She shook her head, “No I haven’t sorry. What’s up?”

“They went to meet Ryusei earlier, but I’d have thought they’d be back by now. And they aren’t answering their phones.”

Andy frowned, “Alright, why don’t we go find them?”

The witch nodded. “They were heading for the clothing shop. Ryon said Ryusei was looking for something to get Tet back for the leisure suit.”

Andy chuckled, “Well, let’s go there first then.” She grabbed his shoulder before teleporting them there.

Kei went inside, coming out a minute later with a frustrated look. “They left about an hour ago according to the clerk.” He looked around, near desperate.

“Why don’t we just teleport to their location?” Andy suggested. 

“You feel them? I can’t..”

“I don’t always need to feel them to teleport. I just focus on their faces and show up there,” Andy grabbed his shoulder again, doing as she mentioned and teleporting. She looked around quickly.

A warehouse, four figures chained to the walls. Shouting as a group of men ran toward her and Kei.

Andy turned toward the men and started muttering spells.

Some of them dropped, but more began to swarm them.

Kei started glowing as vines tore out of the ground, wrapping and squeezing more as he poured his power into the ground.

Andy shifted into panther form, avoiding the vines and ripping into the men with her claws.

Kei swayed as the men dropped dead around him. He was pale and barely conscious.

“Andy?” Kai’s voice was confused.

Andy reverted once the men were dead, “Yeah?”

“Why are we chained?”

“That’s a good question,” Andy answered as she noticed Kei. She went to him and wrapped an arm around him. “We came to check on you and found you guys here.” She unlocked the chains with a spell. “Are you guys good to teleport?”

“I’ll get them back.” Kai focused and the group disappeared.

“Hope you plan to pay me for that merchandise.” A voice spoke behind them.

Kei snarled, pushing away from her as he began to glow again. “My brothers are  _ NOT  _ merchandise!” 

The floor cracked open between the two of them and the man, vines racing upward. They encased the man and left only his head free. There was the sound of something liquid flowing upward.

Andy gasped as a column of magma rose into the air, heading the man’s way. It had almost reached him when Kei went stiff and toppled to the ground. Both the magma stream and the vines vanished, dropping the man to the floor.

Andy knelt for a moment to check Kei before standing and facing the man. She said a spell quickly taking him down. She then teleported Kei back to the infirmary. She checked him over again worriedly.

He was extremely pale, his breathing rapid and shallow. As he shook, she could see the vine almost racing up his neck. His hands alternated between glowing and pale.

Akasa looked over from where he was treating the four porters. “Need help?”

She shook her head, “Take care of them.” She went and got the potion to try to help against the vine. She poured some down his throat and waited.

The vine didn’t stop, instead splitting into two. One curled around his throat, the other proceeded to wrap itself around his temples. Both began shrinking, squeezing tighter and tighter. He began to convulse, his face turning blue.

She focused on him, using her revival power to try to help him. Silver light appeared around him as she pushed the energy into him.

Slowly, the vine receded, his skin turning pale pink as air returned to his body. He went still, the small rise and fall of his chest the only indication he still lived.

Akasa made his way over somberly. “I think Ryon and Yamae were targeted. They were both injured worse than the other two  _ and _ I had to counteract a deep sleep spell.”

Andy frowned, “How are they now? Do you need help healing them?”

Akasa grimaced. “Ryon will be sore when he wakes. Yamae, he’s pretty beaten up. I think I need a lot of help.”

Andy nodded. She spent the next couple hours working on the twins, getting them healed up. She then sat down beside them to rest for a moment.

Akasa crouched beside her. “You okay?” His eyes scanned up and down worriedly.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she gave him a small smile.

He looked at Kei. “What the hell happened?”

“He freaked out at the people, using a lot of power. He passed out because of using too much.”

“How bad is he? The twins will lose their shit if he’s in trouble.”

“He should be alright after some more rest. I poured quite a bit of energy into him.”

Akasa nodded, then rubbed his eyes. “I need a nap. Wake me if the apocalypse happens.” He chuckled and left the infirmary.

Andy continued to watch the sleeping men, occasionally getting up and checking their vitals.

Ryon woke first, his eyes blinking slowly. “We’re free?” He began to push himself up.

“Yeah, we came to rescue you,” Andy said softly.

“I was sure we were going to wake up as slaves or test subjects.” He winced as he finally sat up. Then he saw his brothers and paled. “Please tell me they’re alive..”

“They’ll be alright,” Andy assured.

He didn’t seem to hear her, his eyes fixed on Yamae’s sleeping form. “He wouldn’t shut up even though they kept hitting him. They told us he was going to be a great dissection specimen. I attacked them and they hit me with a sleep spell.”

“They put a sleep spell on him too I think.” Andy watched him a moment, “They’re going to be fine.”

Ryon gave a shudder. “At least with Branch, you know what’s coming.” He sighed and looked at Kei. “He overdid it again right?”

Andy nodded, “He was really upset you guys were taken.”

“Was the word merchandise used? Bad memories for him if so.”

“Yeah..”

Ryon grimaced. “He opened up to us after drinking one night. Seems Branch tried to sell him a few times before they dumped him at the hospital we found him at. At least once, he was actually delivered but he wouldn’t discuss it except to say the person decided he was too much trouble and returned him.”

“That’s rough.” Andy looked at Kei sadly.

“Yeah.. he’s not as well adjusted as he acts.” Ryon shakily stood and made his way over to the witch. He took one hand and squeezed gently. “Don’t you leave me, you hear?”

Andy watched him quietly.

The porter sighed, then swayed. He stumbled back to the bed, attempting to climb in unsuccessfully.

Andy lifted him and set him in bed before wrapping the blankets around him.

He gave her a small smile before his eyes closed.

The door burst open, Kiba entering with a limp Tet over his shoulder. “Andy! Something’s --” He dropped bonelessly to the floor, Tet lying next to him. Neither was breathing.

Andy put them into beds before checking them over for any clues.

No injuries were revealed. In fact, they looked perfectly healthy.

She heard laughter in her head. “You can’t escape us.. We will retrieve the merchandise.”

Tsukasa ran in, looking shocked. “Andy, what is going on? Everyone’s dropping like they were hit with a kill spell..”

“The porters were taken. Apparently the people who took them are mad we rescued them..” she focused on Tet and Kiba for a moment, gold light shining on them. When she was done and sure they were breathing she looked at Tsukasa, “Get everyone who’s dead in here if you can.” 

He nodded, running back out. He returned with the phoenix twins helping him to carry in Etsuko, Yoshi, Rei and Kenji.

Daiki was behind them, aiding Jack and Zal who were barely alive, burns covering them. As she watched, he stiffened and burst into flames.

Andy stared in shock for a moment, said a spell to stop the flames, then got to work helping everyone into beds. She worked on healing the burns before focusing on all the bodies and reviving them. She swayed a little but continued to focus. When she was done, she leaned against the edge of a bed trying to think of a plan to keep the porters safe. 

“Return the merchandise and the attacks stop. We want the witch as well.” The voice spoke in her head again.

Andy growled and focused on the voice, using it to teleport to their location. She looked around quickly, preparing to attack.

Several men surrounded her, as one approached. “Do you really think you can keep them from us?”

Andy glared at them before quickly shifting into panther form. She charged at them, clawing and biting into a few. She almost got hit so she changed into a snake to slither out of the way. She then jumped up and became a hawk, flying at a few more and attacking with her talons. She then reverted, staring at the last couple men. She started muttering a kill spell as she stared at them with angry eyes.

The one who had spoken laughed as his companions went down. “Your tricks don’t work on me. Now be a good girl and bring my merchandise back and no one else gets hurt.”

Andy charged at him, attempting to bite into him.

His eyes darkened as he slapped her aside. “You don’t learn. Fine. You will.”

He was suddenly jerked back, a hand over his face. A bright flash of light and he was falling, his eyes burned out of his skull along with everything else.

Jun trembled, his eyes glowing. “Lesson over.”

Andy pushed herself up slowly, “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Jun fell to one knee, his breathing heavy. “He had it coming.”

Andy nodded and put her hand on his shoulder, teleporting them back to the infirmary. She looked at Tsukasa, “Anyone else die?”

“We’re looking. What happened to him?” The dragon watched Jun sit down shakily.

Andy shook her head, “He helped me take out the bad guy.” She crouched in front of Jun, “Are you alright?”

“Ask me later.” He gave her a small smile as he tried to calm his breathing.

Andy nodded and moved into a chair, waiting to see if she had more patients to care for.

Tsukasa raised his radio to his ear, then sighed in relief. “There doesn’t appear to be any more casualties.”

Jun’s eyes rolled back and he slid to the floor.

“Spoke too soon.” Tsukasa crouched, placing a hand on the necromancer’s shoulder. He jerked back as if burned. “He’s on fire!”

Andy checked him over, saying a few spells to try to help him before moving him into a bed.

“Looks like you have your hands full. Anything you need?”

Andy shook her head before continuing to check on Jun. After a few minutes she sat down again, keeping an eye on everyone. 

Tsukasa left quietly.

Kei began to thrash, screaming “I WON’T HURT ANYONE!!” His heart rate shot up, the monitor on the bed beginning to beep.

Andy stood and went to him, speaking gently, “It’s alright Kei. Wake up. You’re safe.”

His eyes flew open, wild and unfocused. “I WON’T BE YOUR PUPPET! I’LL DIE FIRST!”

“Kei! You’re safe. Please calm down.”

His eyes very slowly focused, his breaths rapid as he tried to relax. “My brothers..safe?”

“Yeah, they’re fine.”

He closed his eyes briefly before quickly sitting up. “Those men.. They aren’t alone. We have to stop them.” He swung his legs over the bed before clutching his chest and gasping. “Oww.”

“We’ve already been attacked again. If there’s even more men, we’ll take them out too. Just lay down and rest.”

“Won’t let any of you go through that.. I swore no one else..” The witch took a deep breath.

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “Everyone is safe for now, so just rest.”

He shook his head. “Not until..” His eyes rolled up and he fell back as his body gave out.

Andy repositioned him and covered him in a blanket, shaking her head before sitting down once more.

Akasa entered, his eyes wide. “Thought you said you’d wake me if the apocalypse happened.”

“I’ve got it under control,” she said tiredly.

“That’s why you look like you haven’t slept in a week, right?” He remarked sarcastically.

“Well, I had to revive a few of the team on top of healing. And fighting some people..” she trailed off. 

He rolled his eyes. “Go take a nap. I’ll watch over the zoo.”

Andy nodded, “Alright..” she pushed herself up and headed out of the infirmary.

When she returned, she checked everyone who was still in the infirmary. Jun’s temperature was high again so she said some more spells. She then headed to search through the books for spells or potions to help him.

Eventually she came across a potion recipe that looked helpful, so she started gathering ingredients. She struggled to get it right but eventually left the lab with an orange potion. She poured it down Jun’s throat and watched to see if it worked.

His breathing eased, becoming more stable. His temperature returned to normal. He lay as if deeply asleep. 

Andy sat down to watch him, hoping he would be alright.

Kei groaned, sitting up slowly and looking over at them. “You look worried.”

“Just kind of worried about Jun. The potion I made him seemed to help though.”

Kei gave a weak nod. “Need any help?”

She shook her head, “Just waiting for now. Get some more rest.”

“I’m fine.” The witch ran a hand through his hair, but stayed on the bed.

Tet began to stir, coughing softly.

Andy went over to him and watched him for a moment. 

The coughing eased, his eyes meeting hers. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was used for sparring demonstration. What happened? One minute I was talking to Kiba, the next I felt like my heart was in a noose. Then everything went black.”

“Kill spell. Some people took the porters and were upset we rescued them. Everyone is alive though.”

He gave a growl. “Point me toward the bastards.”

“We took them out already.”

He made a disgruntled noise. “Why the porters?”

“They wanted to sell them.”

His eyes flashed as he tried to control his anger. “Bastards!” He looked over at Kei and Jun. “That why they both look half dead?” He chuckled softly. “Kei’s sleeping sitting up.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Yeah. And I told him to get more rest.” She went and gently laid the witch back down. 

Tet rose slowly, then reached for her.

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. 

He gave a quiet relaxed purr and began running his hand through her hair. “Glad you’re alright.”

“I’m glad you’re alright too.”

“You think we can go a while without psychos targeting us? Let us target them instead?”

“I wish,” she chuckled softly.

He sighed. “I hate seeing you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Exhausted and worried. Seems almost standard now.”

“I’m sorry,” she sighed quietly.

“It’s not your fault. Just wish the bad guys would leave us alone so we could de stress.”

She nodded, “Unfortunately, we can’t just wish our problems away.”

“You’d think I’d be used to it.” Tet held her close, inhaling the scent of her hair.

She leaned into him, “I don’t think it’s possible to get used to.”

“I’ve been fighting someone or something my whole life. It should be standard to be stressed.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “Maybe I should start mixing anti anxiety meds into the food. Lighten everyone up.”

He fought laughter. “I thought that was the regular state of affairs for Boss’ food. He hasn’t gone nuclear in a while.”

“I think he’s still just happy Daiki is back to normal.”

Tet grinned. “Possibly.” He looked at her softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she smiled.

Kiba’s voice was heard. “Am I invited to this lovefest?”

“Come here,” Andy motioned him over.

He carefully slid off his bed and moved to them. “I was afraid I wouldn’t wake up.”

She put an arm around him, “I’m glad you did.”

He nuzzled her neck as he wrapped an arm around Tet. “So am I.”

Tsukasa cleared his throat. “What’s the situation?”

Andy pulled away from the two and looked at him, “Everyone’s alive. Kei’s still pretty weak. We’re keeping an eye on Jun, but everyone else should be fine once they wake.”

He nodded, moving to Daiki’s bed and sitting down.

“Leave him alone! Don’t touch him!” Yamae began swinging his fists, his voice defiant.

Andy went to him, “Yamae, it’s okay. Everyone is safe.”

The porter opened his eyes slowly, giving her an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Andy gave him a small smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Thankful to be in one piece.” He looked around. “What the hell happened here?”

“Just the assholes who took you guys trying to get you back. Everyone’s fine though, don’t worry.”

“They wanted us back that bad? Why?” His gaze lingered on his brothers for a moment, then moved to Ryusei.

“Apparently they wanted to sell you guys,” Andy scowled.

“They mentioned something like that.. I told them to fuck off. Then they said I had a date with dissection.” He gave a shudder. “Why would we be so damn important?”

Andy shrugged, “Not sure exactly, but I’m glad you’re safe now.”

A few minutes later, Ryusei and Ryon were awake, as well as the vampires.

“I wish I could kick the asshole who tried to fry me.” Daiki’s voice was hard.

Andy nodded, moving back to sit by Jun.

He hadn’t moved, his breathing slow. His vitals were steady, but he showed no sign of regaining consciousness.

Andy went to the medicine cabinet and got a vial out. She injected him with a bit and watched. 

His eyes blinked open, but they were hazy and unfocused.

“Jun?” She said softly. 

He looked at her, trying to speak.

“It’s okay, you just woke up. Take your time,” she sat down next to him. “Everything is alright.”

After a few minutes, he managed a weak “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” she smiled softly.

“I..” He stopped, frowning. “I knew that spell was dangerous. It could have hurt you..”

“It’s alright. I trust you.”

He watched her in concern. “You trust an untrained necromancer not to kill you? You need your head checked more than me.” He winced and rubbed his temple slowly. 

“At one point I was an untrained necromancer and the people around me still trusted me. I know how hard it can be to get used to your powers, but I believe you can do it.”

“Before or after it kills me?” He asked dryly.

“Well, if you do die, I’m here to help, but I doubt it will come to that.”

“Feels like it right now..” He grimaced as blue light crackled around his hands. “This can’t be good..”

“Do you think maybe you have too much energy stored up and you need to let some of it out?”

“Can I do that safely? I don’t want to hurt anyone. Plus, I don’t have any clue how..”

“I’ll talk you through it. Close your eyes and focus on yourself, do you feel the energy in you?”

He closed his eyes and nodded after a moment. “There’s so much..I’m scared.”

“Don’t worry. Everything is alright,” she said gently. She took his hand, “Now focus on me, can you feel my energy?”

His eyes remained closed, but his eyebrows rose and he nodded.

“There’s two different things I’ve learned how to do. When someone is dead, you won’t sense their energy, so you just have to focus on them and push the energy into them until their energy picks back up and they start breathing. The other thing is healing using energy transfer. You sense the other person's energy and push some of your energy into theirs. Just imagine moving some of it over, like two pools of water and you move from one pool to the other.” She explained. “I trust you, okay? Try it now, transferring a bit of energy over to me.”

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly concentrated. Gradually, his hands returned to normal.

“How did that feel?”

“Good. Like when you run to relax. Thank you.” Jun opened his eyes and smiled at her.

“You’re welcome,” she smiled in return. She looked over at Kei who was still sleeping. She stood up and checked him over before adding, “Not sure why, but when I revive it’s gold and when I heal it’s silver.” She pushed the energy she’d received into Kei, silver light surrounding him for a few moments. When it faded she smiled, “That should help him get better faster.”

Jun was quiet a moment. “Do you ever worry about dying while bringing someone back?”

“With how much energy we have, we can revive multiple people. When you revive a lot of people, it can make you exhausted or even pass out. I guess I never really worry though because as long as my friends are safe, I’ll be happy.”

He nodded, making his way out of the infirmary.


	37. Chapter 37

Andy stared at herself in the mirror. She’d lost a bit of weight during her months at Branch but she’d lost even more since returning. She  _ was _ eating.. just probably not as much as she should have been. Her uniforms felt baggier by the day. She shook her head pushing the thought away before she checked her pistol. She headed out of the room and met up with the group for the mission they were heading out on. 

Tsukasa gave her a look, but continued his briefing. “The Cortezes are highly security conscious. They have wards to prevent unauthorized entry into their warehouse. Andy, your job is to disable them so the team can get in and free the hostages. The rest of you know what to do. Hostages come first, but if you can bag Cortez and his brother, no one will miss them. But  _ only  _ if it doesn’t risk the hostages or yourselves. Be careful.” He moved aside to let them go.

Andy nodded and followed the group. When they got there, she analyzed the situation. She spotted some people and started muttering kill spells to drop them.

Shouma noticed them at the same time, shifting. He attacked just as the kill spell finished, instantly falling to the ground. He convulsed, then went still.

Andy stared in horror before running toward him. She knelt beside him and ported him back to the infirmary. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him, knowing she was the reason he was dead. She struggled to breathe, finally getting in some air and focusing on reviving him. Once he was breathing she gave a small sigh of relief before teleporting back to the group. She looked around for her team members, thoughts of Shouma appearing in her head distracting her. She finally spotted a team member and helped save the hostages. When they were done, she went back to the infirmary and sat next to Shouma, staring at him blankly.

Tet appeared sometime later, scowling as he saw her. “What the  _ hell _ happened out there? We barely completed the mission!”

Andy winced and looked down, “I’m sorry. I was working on taking them down when Shouma appeared and got caught up in the spell..” She took a deep breath, “Did we get Cortez?”

“One of them.. The other one got Kiba pretty good. Jack’s patching him up so he can be ported.”

Andy nodded slowly.

Kai appeared supporting a pale Kiba, bandages wrapped around one shoulder and chest beginning to spot with blood. “Some help?”

She got Kiba into a bed and started to heal him. When she was done, she gave another look at Shouma before heading out of the infirmary.

Tet watched her leave with a sigh, then headed to report in.

Andy curled up in bed, sobbing. She’d been trying to act normal, and she figured Tet and Kiba could see through her act, but she didn’t want them to know how bad she’d been feeling. She still hadn’t gotten over everything from before but now she’d  _ killed _ one of her friends. It was the second time she’d killed a teammate now, and the only reason the team wouldn’t hate her is because she could bring them back. 

Who would she kill next? What if she couldn’t bring them back? Maybe she should just run off into the forest and not come back before she did damage she couldn't reverse. Plus, if she did go missing she couldn’t be used by Branch or anyone else ever again.

Her mind raced for hours until she finally pushed herself out of bed. She wandered outside and wandered into the forest, no real plan in mind.

Jun sat up in bed, listening for what had awoken him. The base was silent, but he swore he’d heard a woman sobbing. He sat immobile, closing his eyes and letting his consciousness free.

He felt Etsuko’s energy, bundled in Kei’s arms as she slept. He smiled, then drifted toward Andy’s room. He frowned when he found it empty. He followed her aura outside, toward the forest. With a sigh, he returned to his body.

Dressing quickly, he slunk off the base, avoiding who ever was on guard duty and heading straight for the forest. He followed the energy, praying Andy hadn’t done anything stupid.

She sat on the edge of the cliff for a while, staring out at the sky. Eventually, she took a deep breath before pushing herself off.

Jun arrived just as she did. “Goddammit Andy!” He jumped after her, willing his power to make a barrier between her and the ground.

Andy opened her eyes in confusion.

Jun’s eyes blazed as he realized she was awake. He looked down at her, growling “I’m tempted to slap you so hard you fly without shifting..” He sighed, “But then I’d have both Tet and Kiba after me and I’d rather not. Mind sitting up now? My legs are numb.”

Andy moved off into a sitting position, wrapping her legs up to her chest. She whispered out, “Why are you here?”

“Heard you crying. Found you gone, followed your energy. Why the fuck did you jump?”

Andy shook her head, “A lot of reasons..”

“Not good enough. You refused to let me die, but then expect me to let you?”

Andy sobbed. She struggled to get enough air to speak, “I’m sorry.”

He slowly stood, wincing at the pins and needles in his legs. “I heard about what happened. Shouma doesn’t blame you. In fact, he was blaming himself for not paying better attention.”

“Figures,” Andy sighed. 

“What? That he realizes he made a mistake? Or that perfect is just a word in the dictionary?” Jun gave her a half smile. “Everyone screws up. Not everything is your fault, isn’t that what you’re always telling that overgrown rug you call a boyfriend?”

“It’s not just that though. I’m sick of everything always happening. Branch has been after me multiple times and has really screwed me up. I had a really bad experience with Seltain and so that whole thing brought up bad memories. I just wish all the bad things would stop..” 

He grimaced, turning away. “I’m sure me being here doesn’t help.” He hunched his shoulders for a minute. “At least the memories are yours, good or bad. I’m not entirely sure which are mine and which are his, aside from the blatant torture porn he enjoyed dishing out.”

“I don’t connect you with him, so you being here doesn’t bother me at all. You’re you, and you’re my friend.” She sighed as she wiped her eyes, “I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. We might be able to come up with a spell or potion to help..”

“STOP IT!” He whirled to face her. “Stop changing the subject.. This is about you, not me.” He knelt beside her. “I don’t want to have to do this again. I don’t want to wake up and you have done something I may only possibly fix. I can’t lose this team like my first. I won’t. I’ll kill myself before allowing the heart of the team to tear herself apart.”

Tears streaked Andy’s face. “How am I the heart of the team? All I do is feed them and keep them alive.”

“Alive? You keep us  _ sane. _ . You know, for being so smart, you sure are dumb. I hang out with the porters a lot. You know what Ryon told me? He told me before you joined, Ryusei had near constant night terrors from everything he’d been through. Two months after you joined, they stopped completely. He sleeps through the night because he trusts that you’ll keep him safe. Yamae was so sarcastic before you, he literally was almost hated by the team. The others probably have stories of how you saved their sanity as well. If you weren’t here… we’d fall apart and not _ just  _ from malnutrition.” He gave a rueful chuckle.

Andy gave a small smile, “I didn’t know they felt that way..”

“Like I said, dumb.” The necromancer smiled at her. 

Andy pushed herself up. “Are you going to tell them..?”

“No. You don’t need the added stress of their freakouts. But I was serious. I will die before letting you. So be prepared, if you try anything like this again.” 

Andy nodded. She looked up the cliff, “Want a ride up?” She shifted into her hawk form.

He chuckled. “Alright.”

She grabbed onto him, flew up to the top, and set him down gently before shifting back. She looked out over the cliff and took a deep breath before turning away from it. 

He gave a soft smile. “Home? Or is there another cliff you would like to see the bottom of?”

“Home sounds good,” she started walking that direction. “I kind of want to tell Tet and Kiba, but you might be right about the stress of them freaking out..”

He chuckled. “It might be worse for me. They’d probably get mad for not waking them.”

Andy laughed, “It’s their fault for not keeping their eyes on me.”

Jun’s eyes twinkled. “Well, aren't they lucky then that I was paying attention. I have to thank you actually.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“Because your state of mind woke me from a rather nasty dream. Or should I say a memory not my own.” He scowled. “It really sucks. They show up without warning. Was talking to Kiba the other day and I saw him die in front of me.. He was startled when I ran.”

Andy sighed, “Well, glad I could help a bit, I guess. And like I said, we might be able to find a spell or potion to help.”

Jun nodded, frowning at the ground as they walked to the base.

When they arrived, Andy looked at him, “Thank you. For everything.”

“That’s what family’s for, right?”

Andy nodded with a small smile before heading off toward the room she shared with Tet and Kiba. She climbed into bed between them, sitting back against the headboard.

Tet opened one eye to look at her. “You okay?”

“Not really, but I will be.”

He sat up, eyes staring into hers. “You need to talk?”

She sighed and leaned against him, “I’ve just been having trouble with things lately.. Not sure what all to talk about unless you want to act as a psychiatrist,” she gave a small chuckle.

“You do it enough for all of us. I should have been paying more attention to you. Vent away.”

“Just sick of Branch and Seltain and everything always happening. I just need to learn to deal with things better than I have been.”

“Branch alone is enough to drive anyone to the madhouse. Discovering everything about Jun was icing on the shit cake.” He drew her closer, squeezing softly. “I’m amazed you haven’t lost control and just nuked everyone. We’re too damn needy at the best of times and right now..”

“Promise you won’t get mad at me..?”

His eyes darkened. “That has never had a good follow up. But I promise.”

“I lost control tonight.. I jumped.. off the cliff.. Jun saved me though.” She hid her face in his chest as if a child hiding under a blanket.

“Jesus, Andy..” He went quiet, silently berating himself for not seeing the signs. “I guess I owe Jun a six pack.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered against him, tears streaking her face once more.

“It’s my fault for not seeing it. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“Don’t blame yourself, please..” 

“Hard not to. Especially after what happened on the mission. I lit into you and then left you alone.. Such a cad.”

She shook her head, “I’d rather you be mad at me than blaming yourself..”

He gave her a soft chuckle, kissing her forehead lightly. “Of course you would.”

“I love you,” she said quietly as she wiped at her eyes.

“Love you more.” He grinned as Kiba began to stir. “Rise and shine wolfie! Another day in paradise…”

Kiba let out a growl as he opened his eyes. “I’d bite you but that requires movement.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before sniffling.

“You okay?” Kiba’s voice became soft as he slowly pushed himself closer. He winced as his body reminded him he wasn’t 100% yet.

“Not really. But it’ll be alright,” she sighed.

He nudged her. “Hope you’re not blaming yourself for this. Completely my fault.” He motioned to the bandages.

“Of all the stuff I blame myself for, that hadn’t even crossed my mind as my fault,” she gave him a small smile.

“Wow.. not sure whether to be happy or offended.”

She gave a small chuckle before sighing. “Things have just been rough lately and I need to deal with them better.”

“Don’t we all.” Tet grabbed them both and kissed them hard. “But we have each other to help, right?”

Andy nodded slowly, wiping at the tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you guys sooner..”

“It’s okay. At least Jun was around to keep you from being completely stupid.” Tet stretched and yawned.

Andy nodded and leaned her head back, taking a deep breath. She then let out a small chuckle, “Guess him and I are even now, aren’t we?” 

“I’d say so.” Kiba hissed in pain as he stretched out at the end of the bed.

Andy said a couple spells to try to help him.

He gave a sigh of relief as the pain eased, eyes closing.


	38. Chapter 38

After cooking breakfast, Andy sat down with a plate and started eating. She soon watched the group trickle in.

“Hey.” Kenji slid in beside her with a smile. “Zal, Daiki and I are going for a run after we eat. Thought you might want to get some exercise..?”

Andy raised an eyebrow before giving him a smile, “Sounds good.”

His face lit up. “You will hopefully be a more appreciative audience.” He gave a thumbs up as the vampires walked in, followed by more of the team.

Daiki smirked as Zal gave her a salute. They got their plates and came over.

“What did he bribe you with?” Zal quirked an eyebrow as Kenji looked offended.

Andy chuckled, “I get a lot less bribes than you’d think. Though I wouldn’t be against it,” she laughed.

Daiki snickered. “Question is, what could we actually bribe you with? You take care of us so well already.” He began to eat, eyes closed as he savored each bite.

“Maybe a day where nothing major happens,” she chuckled again.

“We may be supernatural creatures, but we aren’t gods.” Zal said as he started eating. “But if I did know a way to make it permanently quiet, it wouldn’t be a bribe it would be a thank you gift.”

Andy gave him a small smile before continuing to eat.

The men soon finished, rising to put their plates up. 

“Meet you after dishes at the front gate?” Kenji asked.

“Okay,” she smiled as she finished her food and stood to start on the dishes.

He gave her a thumbs up as the three left.

She quickly washed up the dishes and headed outside. The sun was bright and she closed her eyes a moment to enjoy its warmth.

Zal and Daiki were rolling their eyes as Kenji did acrobatics off the gate. They grinned as they saw her.

She made her way over, chuckling at Kenji. “You guys ready?”

“Definitely. I think maybe you start giving eviel knievel here Ritalin in his food.” Zal whistled at the Frenchman. “Let’s go.”

Kenji gave a final flip, landing beside Andy with a grin. “As my lady wishes.”

Andy rolled her eyes but smiled and started jogging ahead.

The three men settled into an easy rhythm beside her, chatting about nothing in particular. 

Andy listened as she enjoyed the breeze. She soon thought she heard something, stopping a moment to look around.

Kenji paused, watching her in concern. “What is it?” He motioned for the others to stay still.

“Thought I heard something,” she didn’t see anything though so she gave a small shrug, “Maybe I’m losing it.”

“I doubt that will ever happen.” The leopard glanced around as he sniffed the air. “Is it me or is it too quiet all of a sudden?”

Zal and Daiki bared their fangs, moving back to back as they surveyed the location.

Andy soon felt a prick in her arm. She looked and found a small dart, “Guys..” she soon crumpled to the ground.

Kenji growled, starting to approach before a dart took him down as well. Both vampires hissed as several men appeared. Three darts later, Zal and Daiki lay unconscious.

Andy woke slowly, trying to remember what happened. Once she did, her eyes shot open and she looked around, finding the group was locked in a cell.

She and the vampires were unbound and she growled when she realized Kenji was missing.

The door to the room opened and a man entered, grinning widely.

“What do you want with us?” Andy glared at him.

“You’re guinea pigs. We want to try a new drug out and you’re the perfect candidates.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Why us?”

“You’re vampires. And you were available.” He motioned for a man holding a tray. The speaker uncovered it to show three large syringes full of a blue liquid.

Andy growled, preparing to strike at the man if he entered.

He sighed and reached into his pants pocket, retrieving a remote. “Does this really have to be painful?”

“We aren’t guinea pigs and I won’t let you give them anything.”

He flashed fangs at her. “You can’t stop me.” His thumb pressed the remote button.

Andy felt pain shoot through her body, knocking her to her knees. 

The cell was opened and the men entered. Zal and Daiki were injected, then it was her turn. The vampire grinned. “Let’s try a larger dose.” He injected one syringe, then refilled it and injected her again. Both men left the cell, relocking it as the head vampire released the remote.

Andy struggled to her feet, wondering what they gave them. Soon though, she started feeling thirsty for blood.

“Andy.. why do I feel like I haven’t supplemented in a month?” Daiki looked at her in worry as Zal struggled to breathe slowly.

“They drugged us with something. I think it ups our bloodlust.” She growled, finding it hard to think.

Zal met her eyes, his fangs bared. His eyes were red as he lunged at her.

“Shit!” Daiki blocked him, crying out as he was bitten.

Andy struggled to get Zal off of him. “We need to stay sane. Stop it!” She struggled with the scent of blood coming from Daiki.

“Easier said than done…” Zal pressed himself into a corner as he fought the craving.

Daiki’s eyes were flashing as he leaned against the bars. He bit his lip until it bled as he fought not to attack.

Andy’s hands clenched so hard as she tried to not go after her friends. “They gave me double the dose..” she struggled to breathe and her eyes went red.

The door opened again, the head vampire slowly walking in. “Having fun? I brought you a snack.”

He snapped his fingers and a cloudy eyed Kenji entered. One side of his neck was covered in blood from fang marks. “He won’t fight as you can see.”

He unlocked the cell and Kenji walked in. “Give them your wrists.”

The shifter took off his jacket, exposing his bare arms. He extended both wrists and stood still.

“I wonder how long you’ll hold out?” The vampire laughed as he left the room after relocking the cell.

Andy stared at Kenji like he was a fresh cooked meal. She only lasted seconds as she stared at the blood on his neck until she moved toward him, biting into his wrist.

He made a small noise in his throat, but didn’t move.

Zal swore, then he was on the man’s other wrist. Daiki fought, but finally succumbed and latched onto the Frenchman’s neck.

After she got all the blood from him she could, she stared at Zal. The bloodlust had taken over any last hold she had on her sanity and she pounced at him, biting onto his arm.

He hissed, his fangs buried in the rapidly weakening Kenji. He kicked at her as their friend sank to the cell floor. Daiki was frantic as he tried to get more blood, turning and biting into Andy’s calf.

She growled, sucking down Zal’s blood faster. When she was done, she ripped Daiki off of her and sank her fangs into him.

Daiki clawed at her, his movements sluggish. Finally he stilled completely.

Andy paced the cell, the thought of blood the only thing on her mind. 

The cell door unlocked, swinging open. “You’re free to go. There’s blood at your base. All the blood you could ever want…”

She shifted into panther form, rushing out of there and toward the base. She reverted when she arrived, sniffing quickly for her next meal. 

“Andy.. what the hell?” The phoenix twins slowly exited the guardhouse, eyeing her in fear.

Her eyes were bright red as she jumped at them, attempting to take a bite.

Akira shifted, but Taka was too slow. He cried out as her fangs sank into his neck.

Andy quickly drained him, then headed for the main base building.

Akira reverted, hitting the alarm button. “Andy’s lost it! She’s biting everyone she can find!”

Tet and Kiba exchanged horrified glances. Tet looked at Kei and Jun. “Figure out something fast. We’ll stall her.” Both shifters ran for the door.

Andy entered the building, sniffing for blood. She started stalking toward the rec room.

“Darlin? Want to tell me what you’re doing?” Tet looked at her evenly. He looked at Kiba. “Get everyone evacuated to the shelter aside from me and the witches.”

“Are you insane?!” Kiba’s eyes were fixed on Andy.

“That’s a direct order. Now!” Tet began approaching her slowly as Kiba growled and ran down the hall.

Andy was about to pounce at him, but she had a small moment of clarity. She held her head tightly as she tried to fight the bloodlust. “Drugged us..”

“Who drugged you? Where are the others?” He asked softly as he kept moving toward her. “Let me help you.”

“I don’t know..” she shook her head for a moment before looking back up at him. “Get away from me!”

“Not going to happen, darlin. I’m going to take you to the infirmary where Kei and Jun can help.” He grasped her wrists gently.

Andy soon started struggling, trying to bite into Tet.

He gave a small growl, trying to avoid her teeth. He looked away as Jun appeared and began reciting a spell.

Andy finally got ahold of Tet, sinking her fangs into him. 

He gasped and stiffened, but didn’t pull away. His eyes locked onto hers as they began to dim.

Andy continued to drink until Jun finished the spell. She and Tet collapsed onto the floor.

Jun gently pried her off Tet as Akasa wrapped her in a straitjacket.

Andy woke into a fog, her brain trying to figure out what was going on. It all came back to her and she started sobbing.

“Shhh. It’s alright.” Jun ran a hand through her hair. “Are you back with us now?”

“It’s not alright! I killed them!” Tears streaked her face.

“It wasn’t you. Just calm down and I’ll release you.” He undid the straitjacket, pulling it off and wrapping her in a hug.

“I need to find them..” her breathing quickened.

“We will. Just take a moment.” Jun released her, turning away as Jack pulled a sheet over another bed.

She tried to calm down, but the tears continued to stream. She managed to breathe a little slower though. “I’m sorry..”

Jun raised her head. “It’s not your fault. The only person who has to be sorry is whoever did this to you. Now, do you remember where you came from?”

Andy looked thoughtful for a moment, “I might be able to lead the way. Or I could try porting there?”

“Are you up for that?” He glanced at her.

She was quiet a moment before nodding, “I want to take out the person who did this.”

He nodded as Kiba entered hesitantly. “Is she okay?”

“I’m not going to bite you, if that’s what you mean.”

“I’m not worried about that. Worried about your state of mind.” Kiba kissed her hard.

“I’m upset but I need to go find the others. Want to go with?”

His eyes glittered as he answered “Hell yes.”

Andy nodded before standing. She focused on her friends and teleported them there. They stood outside the cell and she tried to avoid looking at her friends on the floor. She turned to head out of the room, trying to find the man who caused this.

“I see you brought me lunch.” The vampire grinned at the end of the hallway. “You really are going to be a great addition to the team.”

Andy growled, “Shut up!” She shifted into panther form and charged at him.

He flashed his fangs, then backhanded her. His victory was short lived as Kiba’s teeth latched onto his arm. He snarled, pulling a small pistol and firing two shots point blank into the wolf. He turned back to her as Kiba fell backward.

Andy growled and pounced at him again.

He aimed, firing as he shook his head. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this..”

Andy struggled, blood pouring from the wound she just received. She moved forward, ignoring the pain as she bit into his leg.

He screamed, trying to kick her off. His struggles slowed as the blood loss made him weak. He fell on his side, firing the empty gun repeatedly.

She finished draining him before reverting to human form. She lifted Kiba and took him to the others before teleporting them all to the infirmary. She got them into beds and started working on healing Kiba.

Akasa quickly moved to her side. “What do you need?”

“Work on the others. They all need transfusions set up. Kiba will probably need one too, I just need to remove the bullets first.” 

He began to do as instructed, trying not to wince at Kenji’s injuries. Afterwards, he returned, worriedly reaching for her. “You need to sit down.”

She shook her head, “When I’m done.” She finished healing up Kiba before going to the other men. She focused on them, pushing energy into them as the gold light appeared. She held her breath as she waited for them to revive. Finally she gave a sigh of relief when they sucked in air.

She turned to sit but her own blood loss from the wound she received made her unsteady. She soon fell to the floor, the bloodstained spot on her clothes growing larger.

Akasa quickly transferred her to a bed, then began to operate. When he was done, he set up another transfusion, then sat down with a heavy sigh.

Andy shot up, making her wince. She looked around quickly.

Akasa gave her a small smile. “Feeling better?”

“A little.” She pushed herself off the bed and went to check on everyone.

Kiba was sleeping while her three fellow kidnapees were unconscious but stable.

Jun sat beside two covered beds, hands shaking as he stared at the floor.

“You alright?” Andy asked softly.

“I’m sorry. I tried but I couldn’t bring them back..” He muttered, his voice sad.

“It’s alright. You’re still new to this. I know you’ll get the hang of it. Do you want to try again?”

He looked up at her and nodded slowly. 

Andy gave him a small smile. When he was ready, she closed her eyes to focus on his energy.

He closed his own, jaw set tight as he began to try the revival. He concentrated, his power seeking the life force.

“Use more energy. Don’t be afraid of it.”

He gave a small nod, then unleashed the power and let it swell before pushing it toward the beds.

Andy opened her eyes and watched as the men were surrounded by light.

Minutes later, they gave long gasps as they returned to life. 

The light faded away as Jun swayed, his eyes dazed.

Andy put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “You did it.” She smiled.

He gave her a small grin before passing out in her arms.

She struggled to get him into a bed without popping her stitches, but she eventually managed. She sat back in the bed she had been in earlier.

Akasa moved to her side. “You okay?”

Andy sighed, “Not really. I know it was the drugs fault but I still feel terrible about it..”

“I know none of them will blame you. You need to let go of the guilt.”

Andy nodded, “Easier said than done.”

He gave her a quick hug before moving to Kenji’s side as he stirred.

“What happened?”

“The three of us vamps got drugged and bit you,” Andy answered.

“Oh. Well, better you guys than psychos.” Kenji shrugged as he sat up.

“I guess,” Andy said quietly.

“Don’t start blaming yourself for something you couldn’t control.” Kenji slipped off the bed and grabbed her in a hug. “You weren’t in control and you’re not to blame.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I know.” 

“You better.” He let go of her with a small smile. “I’m going to crash. Don’t neglect yourself alright?” He headed out of the infirmary.

Andy laid back, deciding to nap. She finally got to sleep but soon was having nightmares of the days events. 

Kiba heard her crying and slowly went to her side, cradling her. “It’s okay, Andy. Just nightmares.”

She slowly opened her eyes, struggling to focus on him. When she finally did she sighed, “Sorry if I woke you.”

“Stop apologizing. Are you alright?”

“Like you said, just nightmares. I’ll be fine.”

He gave a slow nod. “Well, everyone’s alive and the bad guy’s dead so I think we can call this incident done.”

Andy nodded. “If only my nightmares thought that way.”

“I know what you mean. But we’re all here to help you.”

“Thank you,” Andy gave him a small smile. 


	39. Chapter 39

Andy was cooking lunch while she considered different places. Eventually she gave up and decided the guys could pick. When Kiba and Tet came in, she gave them a wide grin, “If we went on a date, where would you guys like to go?”

“Somewhere out of country.” Tet responded.

Andy looked thoughtful, “Dinner or something else like sightseeing? Or both?”

“Sightseeing sounds fun.”

“If you could see anything in the world, what would it be?” Andy smiled.

“The pyramids.” Kiba munched on an energy bar as he spoke. “Or the Sphinx.”

Tet chuckled. “Forgot you were interested in archaeology.”

Andy grinned, “Then we go tonight. After dinner.”

Both men raised their eyebrows, but said nothing.

She handed them their plates before making her own and joining them for lunch. 

Andy was excited to get off the base and spend time with Tet and Kiba. She made dinner a bit early and went to change, wearing shorts and a short sleeve button up shirt. When she headed back into the kitchen she smiled at them, “Are you guys ready?”

Both men nodded, wearing lightweight shirts and khakis. 

“Why are we doing this again?” Kiba asked as he looked at her.

“I want to get off base and thought we might want to go on a date.”

Kiba’s eyes went wide as Tet chuckled. “Moron. Maybe we just want to have fun before anything happens.”

“And with the teleporting spell, we can go anywhere.” She smiled. “Did I ever tell you all the places I went that day I took off?”

“I think other things got in the way.” Kiba wrapped an arm around the two of them.

“I had lunch in Tokyo and dinner in Paris. It was really nice,” Andy grinned before focusing and teleporting them to Egypt. She looked around, finding that she was standing in front of the Sphinx.

Kiba immediately began examining it, causing Tet to laugh. “Now that he won’t pay attention to anything else for the foreseeable future…”

Andy chuckled, “At least he’s happy.”

Tet watched the wolf with a soft smile. “Yeah. Thanks for this.”

“I figured we needed a real date instead of just spending all our time in the bedroom,” Andy smirked.

“But I like being in the bedroom. Never thought you’d be such an animal in bed, pardon the pun.” Tet grinned and kissed her cheek.

Andy laughed, “Well there’s always time for that afterward, if we can ever drag him away.”

Kiba was grinning like an idiot when he rejoined them a few minutes later. “You’re the best, Andy!” He gave her a tight squeeze as he excitedly looked around.

“I’m glad you like it,” she smiled.

Tet spied a wall to sit on and moved to it. He relaxed in the sun. “Where next?”

“Well, has Kiba seen enough? Is there anywhere  _ you  _ want to go?”

He shrugged. “Never thought about it. I’ve always been either sick or fighting, so never gave traveling much thought.”

Andy looked thoughtful before grabbing them and teleporting them somewhere new. A large waterfall was now in front of them.

Tet was transfixed, watching the sheet of water go forever downward. His eyes were large, his breath slow.

“Nice choice. You shut him up fast.” Kiba nudged her with a chuckle.

Andy laughed as she watched Tet. 

He leaned on the guardrail, his eyes distant. He looked relaxed, like he would fall asleep at any moment.

She put a hand on his shoulder, “You like it?”

He was slightly startled but nodded with a smile. “Kinda forgot I wasn’t alone. It calls to me for some reason.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Wanna stay here a while longer or head somewhere else?”

“Your choice. You are the one using energy to port.” He stood and stretched. “I feel like I just woke up from a deep nap.”

“How about one more place before home?” She looked thoughtful again as she tried to think of a place. 

Both men shrugged, waiting for her.

They teleported somewhere, and Andy looked out at the large crater in the earth.

Tet and Kiba exchanged looks of awe as they stared into the crater.

Andy lost herself in her thoughts as she stared out into the horizon.

“You okay?” Tet put an arm around her shoulders.

“Yeah. I’m just thinking about how if I wasn’t alive I wouldn’t have gotten to see all these things with you. I’m not fully better but I’m glad I’m alive to be here with you two.”

“That makes three of us. I still can’t believe we’ve survived everything we have. I know I wouldn’t trade all of you for anything.” Kiba sighed.

“I love you guys.”

“Goes double for us. We might want to get back in case world war three has broken out without us.” Tet gave her a grin.

Andy nodded and teleported them back to base.

Tet went to check in as Kiba walked with her down the hall.

“So was this a good date?” Andy asked quietly.

“Best date of my life.” Kiba gave her a deep kiss.

She kissed back hard then pulled away with a wide smile, “I’m glad.”

Tet came running toward them, looking grim.

“What’s wrong?” 

“Boss is missing and presumed dead.”


	40. Chapter 40

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Andy took a deep breath. 

Kiba had gone white at Tet’s statement, leaning on a wall as his knees threatened to buckle. “Why is he presumed dead?” His voice sounded weak to his ears.

“Search didn’t find anything except..” Tet hesitated as he watched him worriedly.

Andy put an arm around Kiba before looking back at Tet, “Except what?”

“A large amount of blood. Akasa estimates at least one, possibly two pints.”

Kiba passed out.

Andy gently carried him to the infirmary and placed him on a bed. She then looked thoughtful, “Has anyone tried teleporting to his location?”

Tet sighed. “None of them have been able to lock on to him. Ryon is still searching.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll see if I can find him.” She focused before teleporting. She looked around to figure out where she was.

It appeared to be a small storage shack, empty aside from an industrial sized freezer in one corner.

Andy frowned and continued to look around for any clues. Finally, she unlocked the freezer with a spell before swinging the door open.

Tsukasa hung by his wrists from a hook, frozen blood puddled beneath him. His eyes were closed, although short shaky breaths were visible.

Andy gently took him down before teleporting him to the infirmary. “Akasa, get a transfusion together!” She started working on healing his wounds and using spells to slowly warm him up.

Akasa hooked up the blood, worriedly watching. “He’s in bad shape. Where the hell was he?”

“Locked in a freezer,” Andy answered between spells.

“What the fuck?” Akasa blurted out angrily as Kiba regained consciousness and shakily made his way over.

Ryon teleported in, swaying as he materialized.

Andy gave Ryon a small smile before continuing to work. She looked up at Kiba, “He should be alright once I’m done.”

“You have got to teach me how to do that..” The exhausted porter remarked as Akasa gently sat him down.

“I wasn’t quite awake, but did I hear you say you found him in a  _ freezer _ ?” The wolf’s eyes were locked on his brother.

“Yeah,” Andy sighed.

Kiba began to shake with rage. “The bastard! He’s back and he tried to make good on his threat… I’m going to shred him into little pieces!” His eyes flickered uncontrollably as his knuckles went wide around the bed.

“Who?” Andy said softly.

“Wylan Hambling. Tsukasa was enslaved to him for a few years before he met Daiki. Notice I didn’t say dated.” 

Andy raised an eyebrow, “So they broke up and he threatened revenge..?”

“If by broke up you mean he sent Tsukasa to the hospital and I got him jailed for attempted murder? Yeah. I discovered that he was regularly beating the hell of out Tsukasa and urged my brother to break it off. He finally did and Hambling beat him so badly he almost died. At the sentencing, he swore he’d see him hanging in a freezer someday..”

“Damn,” Andy said quietly, wrapping more blankets around Tsukasa.

“I’m going to kill him if I find him..” Kiba’s eyes were glittering as he fought not to shift. “There won’t be enough to bury.”

“How do you plan to find him?”

Kiba gave her a feral smile. “The threat wasn’t just against Tsukasa..”

“You seriously just plan to let him find you?”

“Easiest way to end this, right?” The wolf watched his older brother with sadness. “I should have killed him that night..”

“It’s alright, I’ll help you take him out,” she gave him a small smile.

“No! I won’t risk anyone else.” KIba turned and ran out of the infirmary.

He headed off base, deep in the forest. “Hambling you son of a bitch! You want me? I’m right here!” He waited for a moment, then turned.

He froze as a huge man appeared, his last thought before darkness took him being an apology.

After a long while, Andy began getting more and more worried. She went to find Tet, “Want to help me find Kiba?”

“Where _ did  _ furball disappear to?”

“To get a killer to try to attack him so he could kill the guy instead.. He refused my help and ran off.”

Tet facepalmed. “Any clue to who this killer is? Just so I have some idea where to look?”

“Some ex of Tsukasa’s. Hambling..?”

Tet paled. “He’s free? Fucking hell.”

“He’s the one that took Tsukasa.”

Tet snarled. “He was  _ supposed _ to be in jail still..  _ Any  _ idea where Kiba might have gone?”

“I figure I can port to him? I just thought I’d take back up in case he’s in trouble.”

“Smart girl. Let’s go rescue idiot before he gets killed.”

  
  


Kiba regained consciousness slowly. He opened his eyes to find himself bound to a hook in what he guessed was the same freezer his brother had been rescued from. An intense pain suddenly jolted through him as he heard the crack of a whip.

“Are you awake now?” A sullen voice asked out of view. “I was worried Boris had killed you.”

“Eat me, Hambling.” Kiba slurred as he tried to regain his breath.

“Once you’re dead, perhaps. I’ve heard wolf meat is a delicacy. But first, my revenge.”

The whip cracked again and Kiba couldn’t prevent the scream that escaped.

“That’s a good start.” Hambling laughed as he kept swinging.

Kiba lost all thought aside from trying to avoid the slashes. Unfortunately, his feet were bound to something heavy and he found any movement to be impossible. His throat became raw as his screams died to weak whimpers. He hung his head, his body trembling as the man paused to step out and warm up.

Andy teleported Tet to Kiba’s location, frowning when she recognized the building as the one she saved Tsukasa from.

“I don’t see anyone. You sure this is the right place?” Tet scanned the area around the building.

Andy nodded and slowly opened the door. She entered and headed back toward the freezer. She growled the second she spotted Kiba. She tried to calm herself, barely succeeding as she got Kiba down and moved him out of the freezer. She started on healing spells while still keeping an eye out for Hambling.

“You need.. to run..” Kiba’s voice was almost inaudible. He fought to breathe through the shock and blood loss. “He’ll..kill you..”

“Shh, don’t worry. Just rest.” She continued to recite spells, slowly closing up the wounds.

“Protect Tsukasa..” Kiba’s eyes closed as he stopped breathing.

“Who the fuck are you? You’re interfering, bitch.” Hambling reentered the shed, one hand dragging an unconscious Tet by the jacket.

Andy’s anger returned, “Who am I? I’m the one who’s going to kill you.” She lay Kiba down gently and lunged at him.

“So the fag got himself a beard? Wasn’t enough he got the promotion and command, he’s trying to look  _ normal _ too?” He stepped away from her attack as he sneered, dropping Tet to the floor.

Andy rolled her eyes, “Tsukasa’s my friend. These two, on the other hand, are my boyfriends. And you don’t mess with them.” She pounced at him, trying to bite into him.

He laughed, then viciously kicked Tet in the chest. The blow sent the tiger into the freezer door.

Hambling then tried to do the same to her.

Andy jumped back, avoiding the hit before pouncing once again. She barely reached him, one hand of claws scratching him across the face.

He screamed in rage. “You’re going to pay for that!” He fumbled through his jacket for something.

She jumped, shifting fully into panther form and knocked him to the ground.

He raised his arms to protect himself.

Andy clawed into his arms, trying to get to his neck.

He swung at her wildly, all semblance of rationality gone. As his hands dropped, she took her chance.

She bit into his neck, quickly draining the blood from his body. When she was done, she reverted back to human form and teleported Tet and Kiba to the infirmary. She focused on healing Tet up while a transfusion filled Kiba back up with blood. She then finished healing Kiba before reviving him.

“Andy..what happened?” Tsukasa’s eyes were open but unfocused.

“Your ex happened,” Andy answered. “It’s alright though, everyone will be okay.”

“My..ex?” He struggled to think, then shot upright in terror. “Wylan?! Please let Kiba be okay…”

“He’ll be fine after he gets more rest,” she said softly.

Tsukasa started to shake, panic overriding his senses. 

“Take deep breaths, there’s nothing to worry about. He’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” The dragon fought to control his emotions as he looked at Kiba.

“Hambling is gone. I drained him.”

“And Kiba’s really okay?”

“He’ll be fine. You know I’d be a wreck right now if he wasn’t.”

The dragon slowly nodded, wincing as he lay back down. “Is it just me or is it really cold in here?”

“You were found in a freezer, it’s probably just you,” she said softly. “I’ll get you more blankets.”

He sighed. “Sorry you got dragged into this.”

Andy shook her head, “All of you guys are like family to me. I’ll gladly help you when things like this come up.”

“This shouldn’t have happened though. He was supposed to be locked up for life.”

“Well, he won’t be a problem again, so it’s alright.” 

Tsukasa raised up on an elbow and looked at her. “I know he’s alright now, but tell me the truth.. Wylan hurt him, didn’t he?”

Andy sighed, “He was also in the freezer, had a lot of whip marks. I ended up having to revive him.”

Tsukasa hung his head for a moment. “Seems I will never stop owing you.”

Andy chuckled softly, “You don’t owe me anything.”

He gave her a tired half smile, then shivered. “Maybe I should go take a hot shower and get a drink..” He yawned, “Don’t want to move though..”

“Get some more sleep, then you can go do all that,” she smiled and covered him with more blankets.

He blinked owlishly, then his eyes closed. His breathing evened into sleep.

“Oww. I should have shot that asshole.” Tet growled as he regained consciousness.

Andy gave a small chuckle, “It’s alright, he was a tasty snack.”

Tet bit back a laugh as he tried to move as little as possible. “He ambushed me..”

“At least I got him and everyone is safe now.”


	41. Chapter 41

Andy grinned at Ryon, Yamae, and Ryusei as they brought their plates up after breakfast, “Want to go on a field trip?”

They looked at her in bewilderment. Ryon spoke first.

“I guess so?”

“We’re going to the most magical place on Earth,” Andy smiled widely.

All three of them stared blankly at her.

Andy rolled her eyes, “Just come on,” she grabbed them and teleported them to the gates of Disney World.

Ryon lifted an eyebrow as the other two stared. “Really?”

“Really.” Andy nodded. “Unless you guys  _ don’t  _ want to have a bunch of fun?”

Ryusei shook his head. “I want to go.”

Yamae gave his brother a begging look, to which Ryon shrugged. “Why the hell not.”

Andy went and quickly purchased tickets before they went through the security line.

“What park first? Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom?”

Ryon got a sly smile, whispering “Anywhere Ryusei’s spirit animal is.”

Andy chuckled, “I think he’s at any park. Ryusei, which park sounds best to you?”

He looked thoughtful. “Magic Kingdom?”

Andy grinned, “Alright. That’s where the castle is.” She headed off in the direction the signs pointed to.

The three porters followed quietly, their eyes large.

The castle came into view and Andy took a few pictures. “There’s a ton of rides in Magic Kingdom. There’s the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, and even a Stitch ride.”

Ryusei’s eyes bugged out as the other two began to laugh.

“Magic words.” Yamae slung an arm around the youngest porter. “Didn’t know they made a ride based on you.”

Ryusei rolled his eyes.

Andy chuckled. “There’s also pin trading, where you buy pins and trade them with cast members pins. There’s lots of other fun things in the gift shops too.” So where do we want to start?

Many rides and gift shops later, Andy found herself back near the castle, smiling at her friends. They all had pairs of mickey ears on, even having found a Stitch pair for Ryusei. 

It was dark, and the firework show was just about to begin. Andy found them a good spot to watch it from. “Thank you guys for coming with me.”

“Kinda hard to resist  _ this. _ ” Ryon gave a soft smile toward the other porters. “Thanks for bringing them.”

“Did you at least have some fun?”

“I did. Guess I don’t show it much huh?” Ryon gave a small chuckle. “Too stuck in the adult role, I guess.”

Andy gave him a smile, “You just have to let your inner kid come out every once and awhile.”

He gave her a grin. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The fireworks began and they spent the next hour being awed.

They returned to base, smiling, covered in Disney merch that Andy bought them.

“I can see where you guys played hooky today.” Tsukasa chuckled as he saw them.

“Thought we should go have some fun,” Andy shrugged.

“I’m not arguing. Probably should get those two into bed before they fall over.”

Ryon laughed, maneuvering the two sleepy porters toward the barracks.

Andy chuckled and headed off toward the room she shared with Kiba and Tet.

The next morning, Akasa approached her with a frown. “Need to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“How did Yamae seem yesterday?”

“He was fine.. Why?”

“Found some irregularities in his checkup last month. Not sure if something’s wrong or if he just needs retests.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll check him over.” She started heading to find the porter but paused as a headache suddenly started. She said a spell to try to help which eased it a bit before she continued on. When she finally spotted him she smiled, “Hey, Yamae.”

He gave her a tired wave, then approached. “I think I’m still worn out from yesterday.” He was slightly pale and he sipped at a large coffee.

“Would you mind coming to the infirmary for a couple tests? Akasa saw something on your scans and we just want to make sure nothing is wrong.”

He shrugged, following her. He looked exhausted by the time they got there, and lay on a bed with no argument.

Andy started up the scanners and quickly called Akasa. 

He came in, sending a look toward Yamae.

“Look at this...”

The nurse studied the scans, then sighed. “How are you going to tell him?”

“I don’t know.. Most patients it’s easy, but not when it’s someone I’m so close to. Start going through the books. I’ll try to tell him.” She paused and wrote down something quickly. 

She went out and gave him a small smile before putting a hand on his chest and reciting the spell she had just written. A seal soon appeared before fading away. 

“Yamae.. I have some bad news,” Andy sighed.

He looked at her, then his lips quirked. “Let me guess. You’re pregnant and it’s mine.”

She gave a small chuckle, “If only..” she took a deep breath, “It seems you have cancer. Now, I’ve placed a sealing spell to try to stop it from progressing, but it will still be affecting you. Please don’t worry though, you know we’re going to do everything we can to get rid of it.”

He looked down for a moment, then raised his eyes. “I’m not worried. But you might want to tell my brothers the same thing. They are both going to freak.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll take care of it. Give me a day or so to go through all our books and see if I can find any spells to help because I’d rather not make you go through chemo.”

He nodded, his eyes tired. “I trust you.”

“Go get some rest. I’ll talk to your brothers.” She called the other two down to the infirmary.

Kei and Ryon walked in and stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Kei watched her expression warily.

Andy sighed, “Please know, we are doing everything we can to fix it, but it seems Yamae has cancer.”

Kei paled, Ryon supporting him as he nearly fell. “I  _ knew _ something was wrong yesterday.”

“I put a sealing spell to prevent it from progressing any further, but it still is serious. Please don’t try to worry too much though, Akasa and I are working on it.”

Kei nodded, his eyes straying to where Yamae was asleep on the bed. “I’ll look through my spells as well. You going to tell Boss?”

“If you want me to. He just wanted me to tell you two.”

Ryon sighed. “He’ll have to be taken off active duty.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll go tell him then. And if you have any questions or anything I’ll be happy to answer them.”

They both nodded, moving to Yamae’s side. There was a quiet conversation, then Kei picked him up and headed out the door.

Andy started to head to Tsukasa’s office but stopped in the hallway and held her head tightly as it pounded. She waited for it to ease before continuing, only slightly concerned about the pain. Taking care of Yamae was her main focus right now, so she finished making her way to Tsukasa’s office and knocked on the door.

The dragon opened it, looking at her with concern. “Are you alright? You don’t look good.” He led her in and pushed her into a chair, then sat on the edge of the desk.

She rubbed her temples for a moment, “Just a headache.” She took a second then remembered why she was there, “Yamae needs to be off active duty.”

Tsukasa frowned. “May I ask why?”

“He has cancer.”

Tsukasa looked shocked for a moment, then nodded. “Done. What’s his prognosis?”

“I did a spell to prevent it from spreading, but it’s not good. I’m hoping we can find or make a spell to help him.”

The dragon took a deep breath. “At least it’s quiet right now. Good luck.”

Andy nodded and headed out of the office. When she arrived back at the infirmary, she looked around for Akasa and once she found he wasn’t there, she did a quick scan of herself. She stared at the results in silence before muttering, “Well, that explains this headache.” She locked the scan files away before popping a pain pill into her mouth and swallowing it. She then headed to start helping Akasa look through the books.

Several hours later, Akasa slammed another book closed. “Nothing..” He pinched his nose as he tried to think of anything he could.

“I’ll try to come up with a spell then,” Andy sighed. 

“How long do you think that will take?” The nurse looked at her. “You and I saw the scans. It’s almost too late to do anything.”

“I know, but you know I’m not giving up. I’ll have something done soon, I just need a small break,” she sighed as she rubbed her head again.

Akasa’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong? And don’t you dare say nothing.”

“It’s just a headache, don’t worry about it.”

He looked unconvinced, but stayed quiet. He finally stood. “I’m going to look in on Yamae.” He left the room.

Andy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, falling asleep in the chair.

She was awakened by the nurse shaking her. His face was grim, but he sat down without a word.

“What’s wrong?” She muttered as she wiped her eyes.

“The seal is weakening. This is  _ not _ a normal cancer. Starting to suspect this is man made.”

Andy frowned, “He  _ was _ with Branch for a while.. God knows what they could’ve done.”

“I know. The question is _ can _ we stop it?” He put his head in his hands. “He’s not doing well.”

Andy nodded and started writing words on a page. She paused a few times, trying to keep track of her thoughts. Finally, she stood. “I’m going to try this.” She went to find Yamae and recited the spell she had come up with. She then took him to run scans again and see if there were any changes.

Nothing appeared different. The seal had completely quit working and Yamae looked worse by the minute. His breathing was weak and he cried out. “Andy, it hurts..”

“I know.. I’m working on it, just try to relax.” She frowned and went to Akasa, handing him the paper, “Do the spell. I want to see something.” 

Akasa nodded, going to Yamae and reciting the spell carefully. 

The porter relaxed, falling asleep.

Akasa came back quietly. “The pain seems to have eased. But that’s all.”

Andy nodded and decided to try something else. She tried to focus her revival energy, a dim silver light surrounding him. She frowned and pushed harder, trying to get the light to brighten. Her hands shook but she continued on, hoping it would work.

Akasa grabbed her as she buckled. “Dammit Andy!” He made her lie down with a disgruntled growl.

She tried to push herself up, “I need to help him.”

“You can’t help anyone in your condition.” He scowled at her. “I saw the scans. What were you thinking?”

Tears filled her eyes, “The scans are just from today.. I figured after we care for Yamae we could look into it..”

Akasa sighed. “You need to accept there isn’t anything we can do for him. His brothers have. Kei asked whether we could sedate him until the end.”

Andy shook her head, “I’m not just giving up.” She looked thoughtful before calling Jun to the infirmary.

He arrived quickly, his face impassive. “You should be resting.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“Akasa told me.” At her look, he quickly added “We’re the only ones don’t worry.”

Andy glared at Akasa, “You know, in most places it  _ is  _ illegal to give out medical information without the patient’s approval.” She sighed and looked at Jun, “I know I can’t do much, okay? But I want to try. I thought if both of us use revival energy, we might be able to heal him.”

Akasa winced. “I wanted to know if he could help you. I’m sorry.”

Jun frowned. “He’s pretty bad. And I’ve never tried to heal.. I’m willing to try. Just don’t get your hopes up. I was actually going to try to heal you.”

Andy frowned, “I guess I won’t stop you.”

He took a deep breath, then stretched out his hands. They began to glow as he began pushing power into her. He concentrated, sweat beading on his forehead as he manipulated the power. After ten minutes, his eyes slid shut and he collapsed.

Her headache eased a bit, but it didn’t fully disappear.

Akasa got Jun onto a bed, then situated the scanner above her and turned it on. He hurried to Yamae when the porter’s breathing began to hitch. He quickly set up a ventilator, then returned as the scanner beeped. His tenseness relaxed somewhat as he looked at the printout.

“What’s it say?” Andy asked quietly.

“The tumor is almost gone. Was hoping he’d be able to get rid of it completely, but at least this will give you time. I hope he’ll be alright.”

Andy nodded slowly. “When he wakes we’ll work on Yamae. Don’t tell anyone else about the tumor, okay? I don’t want to worry anyone.”

He nodded quietly, then answered “Andy, it’s just a matter of time for Yamae. He’s already too weak to breathe on his own. My estimate is possibly two hours.”

Andy sighed, “I won’t give up until he’s gone.” She prayed Jun would wake soon.

Ryon was sitting beside Yamae, holding a limp hand. Under the unconscious porter’s arm was the Chesire cat plushie he’d gotten at Disney. Ryon gave her a sad smile.

“I’m glad we got to act normal just once. He deserved more, but you gave him an opportunity to be young again. I really appreciate it.”

Andy nodded with a small smile.

Kei entered, his face tear streaked. He gave Andy a hug, whispering “I know you did everything you could. Thank you.”

Andy hugged him back in silence. 

Jun groaned, reaching a hand to cover his eyes.

“Welcome back. Care to help me try to save Yamae?”

“Did it work on you?” He cracked one eye to look at her. His face was pale, color was slowly returning.

“It helped. Still there but better than before. Thank you.”

“Dammit.” He scowled, dropping his hand. “If I can’t heal you, what makes you think I can heal him?”

“Both of us using our power might be able to save him. I believe in you, okay? And you helped me a lot.”

He sighed before sitting up. “Keep stroking my ego.”

Andy chuckled softly. “Come on.”

He stood, leaning on the bed for a moment. Then he approached Yamae’s bed. He took a deep breath as his hands began glowing.

Andy went over to Yamae and focused, silver light appearing around the porter. It was much stronger than before, so she hoped it would be of more help.

Jun’s blue light mixed with hers, making the porter glow as he concentrated. The blue soon enveloped the porter. A few minutes went by, then the blue glowed so bright it was blinding.

Then it blinked out, a thud occuring seconds later.

Andy continued to push her energy into Yamae for another few minutes before stopping, falling back into the chair behind her. 

Seconds went by, then Yamae blinked his eyes open. Akasa disconnected the ventilator as the porter began to cough. He quickly wheeled the scanner over, turning it on. When it beeped, he eagerly grabbed the printout. “It’s gone.. No sign of it at all.”

Andy gave him a tired smile.

Kei knelt beside Jun. He grew alarmed at the other necromancer’s pallor and recoiled when he found his skin cold. “Jun..” He shook his head at Akasa.

Andy swayed as she stood, “Put him in a bed.”

Akasa looked at her. “You can’t. You’ll end up next to him!”

Kei and Ryon gently settled Jun on a bed, their faces sad.

“ _ Don’t _ tell me what I can or can’t do,” Andy growled at Akasa before going to Jun’s side. She focused on him, gold light shining around him. 

His breathing returned, slow and erratic. Kei examined him.

“His power is weak. I’m going to make a potion to help.” The witch headed for the lab as Yamae finally spoke.

“Is he okay? I saw him..”

“He should be fine after some rest. Kei’s potion will help too,” Andy said quietly, trying to stop her hands from shaking as she moved to the chair next to him.

“You better follow your own advice. Or so help me I will tell Tet everything.” Akasa threatened her.

Andy nodded, “I’m resting.. I’ll move to a bed soon. And if you tell him or Kiba, you’re dead meat.”

“You do realize that you’re about as threatening as Daiki after a fast, right?” The nurse chuckled as he sat down.

Andy rolled her eyes and looked back at Yamae, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

The porter gave her a grin. “Same to you.” He watched Jun for a moment. “I don’t know how, but I saw him. He put his hand on me and I felt so much power rush through me.. I can’t describe it any other way but cleansing. Like the power was removing anything that didn’t belong.”

Andy gave him a smile, “Not sure how either but sounds nice.”

Kei came out with a vial. “Sounds like an earth witch cleansing spell. Usually reserved for poisoned earth or water.” He poured the potion down Jun’s throat.

Andy watched him a moment before moving to a bed and climbing in. She sat back against the pillows and went back to watching Jun.

Kei gave her a smile. “Get some sleep. He’ll be okay.”

Andy nodded and closed her eyes, soon drifting off. 

She awoke to a stabbing headache and she pushed herself out of bed, going to the cabinet for pain meds.

“Are you alright?” Akasa steadied her, his eyes concerned.

“Just a headache.”

“That’s what you said last time.” Akasa was grumpy as he walked her back to bed.

“Well you already know why I have a headache,” she sighed.

“Thought it was better though?”

“Better, but still there. It can still cause all the same symptoms no matter the size, they just normally worsen the bigger it gets.”

The nurse scowled. “How are we going to get rid of it?”

“I'll figure something out,” Andy sighed. 

“Maybe Jun can try again?”

“Maybe, but not for a few days at least. He needs to regain his strength.” She looked up at the time. “I’m going to go make dinner.” She pushed herself back off the bed.

“Is that wise?” Akasa watched her intently.

Andy shrugged, “The team still needs to eat and will get suspicious if I don’t make something.” 

“I’m sure Ryon or Tet can cook. I informed everyone about what happened with Yamae. Said you might be worn out for a few hours.”

Andy nodded slowly before climbing back into bed, “Alright, you win this time.”

He gave a small smile before heading for the lab as a puff of smoke erupted. “Kei! Please don’t blow us up…”

Andy chuckled before falling back to sleep. She ended up sleeping through til morning. She got up and headed to the kitchen.

A banging caught her attention from the pantry.

Andy raised an eyebrow and went in there to check it out.

She glimpsed light brown fur, then saw a medium sized cat mournfully looking at the various cans of food on the floor.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Where did you come from?”

_ “Help me..”  _ Kei’s voice echoed in her head.

“Aw, I thought maybe we got a new pet,” Andy said softly, picking Kei up and petting his ears.

He let out a purr that sounded like a laugh.  _ “While I’m sure you’re a great owner.. I’d rather not stay like this.” _

Andy nodded and carried him off to the infirmary. She smiled at Akasa when she spotted him.

“He’s still stuck?!” The nurse face palmed. He looked at the clock and sighed. “15 hours now and you still can’t revert?”

“I think I have a spell to help,” Andy said as she set Kei on the table and started looking through a spell book.

“I certainly hope so, otherwise it’s going to get dangerous for him.”

Andy finally found a page and recited the words aloud, watching the cat.

Seconds later, Kei sat on the table. He looked down in embarrassment. “Guess I need to redo the potion again.”

“Ya think?” Ryon stood in the doorway, growling softly.

“I definitely think we should get a pet cat..” Andy said, “Unless you get stuck permanently and become our cat instead.”

“Uh.. I’d rather not.” The witch slid off the table and retreated, his brother scolding him until they disappeared.

Andy headed back to the kitchen and cleaned up the pantry before making breakfast. She sat down with a plate and started eating as the others entered.

“Feeling better, darlin?” Tet and Kiba bookended her.

“Yeah, just needed some rest,” she gave them a small smile.

“Glad we didn’t lose beanie boy. Though it was damn close from what Akasa said.” Kiba took a drink of juice.

Andy nodded, “Yeah, it was pretty bad.”

As if summoned, Yamae materialized. He was cuddling something close to his chest with a soft smile. He raised his head, the smile getting bigger as he saw her.

Andy raised an eyebrow but smiled. “How are you today?”

“Feel energized. By the way, this is for you. My way of saying thanks.” He carefully handed her a snow white kitten with blue eyes.

Andy let out a squeal of delight, “Thank you.” She cuddled it close. 

Tet and Kiba rolled their eyes. “This will be interesting.”

“What should I name it?” Andy looked at them.

“Elsa.” Kiba gave her a grin.

Andy chuckled and nodded, “Hi Elsa.” She nuzzled her head against the kitten like a cat would.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t try to eat the birds.” Tet gave a laugh as he finished his food.

Andy held the kitten against her chest with one hand while eating with the other. When she was done, she headed to the infirmary, Elsa still in her arms.

Akasa looked up from checking Jun. “I thought you were kidding.”

“I wasn’t but I didn’t go get her. Yamae gave her to me.”

Akasa huffed, then stood up. “Kids..”

Andy chuckled and looked at Elsa, “Meet Akasa, he’s kinda grumpy.”

“You deal with Kei as a cat for hours, then see if you’re not grumpy.” He gave a wry smile, reaching out and gently petting the kitten. “Have to admit she’s adorable.”

“She is! I’m in love already and I’ve only had her an hour.”

“Bet your boyfriends are jealous.” He chuckled.

She laughed. “Oh I better go get some supplies.. Guess we’re heading to the pet store. See you later.” She held the kitten tight as she teleported to a shop. She got a collar and leash for Elsa as well as the other supplies she thought she might need. After picking them, and a bunch of toys, out, she paid and headed back to base. She finally let Elsa go when they got to her room, letting her explore.

After she set everything up, including a large cat scratching tree, she took Elsa back to the infirmary and started going through the books for any spells to help her condition.


	42. Chapter 42

“Andy! Help me!” Ryon called as he entered the infirmary, arms supporting a barely conscious Ryusei.

The porter had been severely beaten, his breathing wheezy as he stumbled beside the older man. One eye was swollen shut, blood trickled from his ear as well as his nose and mouth.

More blood was matted in his hair. 

“What the hell?” Andy went and helped Ryusei into a bed, slowly working on cleaning him up before reciting healing spells.

“School bully didn’t like him interfering. Got worse when he fought back.” Ryon clenched his fists. “I wasn’t even sure he was alive when I found him.”

Andy sighed and continued to heal. When she was done, she looked at Ryon, “Would it be bad for me to threaten this bully?”

“I was just going to mash him into the pavement, honestly.” Ryon ground out the words between gritted teeth.

Andy nodded, sitting down in a chair beside Ryusei. 

Ryon gradually regained control, his eyes locked on the unconscious man. “It would be bad if I killed him though.”

“Yeah, probably.” Andy sighed. 

“ ‘M fine.. No need to get expelled because of me..” Ryusei sat up, then slid off the bed to his feet. “I can deal with this by myself..”

“You don’t have to deal with it yourself,” Andy answered. “And  _ I  _ can’t get expelled for beating the kid up..”

“No, you could get arrested. And god knows what else could happen.” Ryusei shook his head emphatically. “Let me deal with this. Please.”

Andy sighed, “Alright, but if I have to heal you again because of this guy, I will do something about it.”

He nodded as he slowly left.

_ Three days later _

Ryon held a bandanna to the cut on his head as he ported into the infirmary. “Andy.. I’m sorry.. That kid.. How could I be so stupid?”

“What happened?” Andy came out of the office and looked at him worriedly.

“His fucking father’s  _ Branch… _ Ryusei got called to the dean’s office and never came back. Then the asshole started bragging about how his dad was so proud of him for bringing him an escaped prisoner.” Ryon swayed, looking sick.

She got him into a bed before healing the wound, then sighed, “I’ll find Ryusei, okay?” She focused on the porter before teleporting to his location.

A white room with padded walls. A slowly rocking figure in a straitjacket.

“Ryusei?” Andy approached.

Dull eyes met hers, the rocking pausing before resuming.

Andy sighed and removed the straitjacket before teleporting him to the infirmary. She looked at Akasa, “Keep an eye on him.” She then disappeared again, heading back. Her eyes were blazing as she prepared to take out everyone in the building.

A tall professorial man scowled at her. “I would appreciate you returning my test subject. My data is incomplete for our new drug.”

“I’d appreciate you going to hell,” she answered before lunging at him, biting onto his arm.

He screamed, swatting at her ineffectually.

Soon, he collapsed to the floor and Andy continued on, looking for more Branch workers to snack on.

Aside from a few assistants, the place was empty.

Andy went and got the information on the drug they gave Ryusei before setting the place on fire. She soon returned to the infirmary and made a drug to counteract the one in his system. She injected it and waited. 

Akasa was quiet. “He was acting like a film I saw of incomplete lobotomy patients.”

Ryusei went still, his eyes closing as he passed out.

Andy sighed, sitting down next to him.

“You think he’ll be alright?” Akasa frowned.

“I hope so..” she said quietly.

A few minutes later, Ryusei regained consciousness. His eyes showed more life, but no recognition.

“Ryusei?” Andy said softly.

His eyes moved to meet hers, a flicker of understanding in them.

Andy stared at him a minute before trying a few spells.

He kept staring, otherwise he was perfectly still.

Andy sighed and rubbed her temples, a headache forming. She looked over to Akasa, “Any ideas?”

The nurse grimaced, shaking his head. He began to lay Ryusei down for a scan.

That brought a rapid response from the man. He yelled and punched at Akasa before sinking his teeth into the nurse’s hand.

Akasa jumped back with a growl.

Andy quickly said a sleeping spell to knock Ryusei out.

“Well, we know his flight or fight response is still active.” Akasa shook his hand with a grimace.

“Get the scans,” Andy ordered as she made another dose of the medicine, wondering if more would help.

The nurse quickly did as ordered, handing her the printouts.

“It looks normal.” Andy assessed. 

“Then why is he not reacting? Aside from violence, that is?”

Andy shook her head and injected Ryusei with more medicine. “We’ll see how he does when he wakes again.”

A few hours later, the porter blinked his eyes open. 

“Ryusei?” Andy approached him slowly.

“An..dy?” He looked at her, his speech slow.

“Yeah,” she gave him a small smile. “How do you feel?”

He frowned, one hand reaching to hold his head. “Hurts..to think.”

“Okay, just relax. We’re working on figuring out what exactly is wrong.”

He gave her a slow nod, sitting up and drawing his knees up to his chest. He began to rock slowly, his eyes fixed on the wall.

Andy watched him sadly for a few minutes before going back to the office and resuming looking through the books. Elsa soon curled up in her lap and she slowly pet the kitten while reading. 

Akasa entered the office. “You working or playing with the cat?”

“Mostly working..” Andy chuckled. She’d taken to playing with Elsa using a string.

“He more with it?” The nurse watched Ryusei from the doorway.

“Well, he knows who I am but he says it hurts to think.”

“I researched more on what he was given. Looks like it’s an experimental drug designed to wipe violent psychiatric patients. It’s supposed to erase the personality so shrinks can alter behavior.”

Andy sighed, “I hope we can figure a way to get him back..” 

Akasa nodded quietly. “What I read says it only worked on about two percent of the population permanently. So, with luck and your drug, it will wear off soon.” 

“I hope so,” she wrapped up the string she was playing with and put the kitten back in her lap. She reached over and opened a bottle of pain meds and took one before staring back at the book. 

“Headache still? Maybe it’s time for me to get Jun?”

“I’ll be fine. I need to focus on taking care of Ryusei.”

“He’s not in danger of dying. You can take some time.” Akasa frowned.

She sighed, “I might take a small break. Let me know if anything changes?” She stood and held Elsa close to her before walking out of the infirmary.

Ryon met her in the hall. “How is he?”

“He’s in there somewhere.. We just haven’t fully figured it out. The medicine they gave him  _ might  _ wear off on its own, though.”

“You think I could sit with him?”

“He’s just sitting there rocking again, but if you want to, it should be fine.”

Ryon nodded, then headed for the infirmary.

Andy headed to her room to let Elsa run and play. She then decided to go start cooking, so she headed to the kitchen. Staring at the ingredients, her eyes kept blurring together. She growled, closing them for a moment before trying to look again. When she finally got everything together, she stood by the stove, starting to cook.

Kiba and Jun poked their heads in, nodding to each other. They quickly entered, Kiba grabbing her arms as Jun grabbed her head.

“What are you doing?” Andy tried to shake them off. 

“Akasa told us you were resisting getting taken care of. So we are taking matters into our own hands.” Jun’s hands began to glow.

Andy growled, “Akasa needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.”

“How are you supposed to take care of us if you’re down?” Kiba’s voice was barely controlled, anger clear.

“I’m working on figuring it out,” Andy answered. “It’s not like I’m completely ignoring the problem.”

“Unh huh.” Jun said dryly as he concentrated. The blue light encompassed her head and he went silent.

Andy felt her headache ease a bit as she felt the energy flow into her.

After a few minutes, Jun pulled away and sank into a chair. “I hope that helped.”

“My headache is mostly gone, so thanks.” She gave him a small smile before turning back to the stove in silence. 

“So my first act of being in charge worked.” Kiba grinned, kissing the back of her neck.

Andy rolled her eyes as she finished the food. She made herself a small plate and sat down to eat, trying to control her anger at Akasa.

Jun watched her, nudging Kiba. “How long till Akasa gets nuked?”

The wolf watched her, whispering “I give it five minutes max.”

She finished her food quickly, heading out of the kitchen and going back to her room to check on Elsa. She nuzzled the kitten as she picked her up, then headed back to the infirmary, locking the door so Akasa couldn’t get back in. She ran a scan of herself, looking at the results before ripping the printouts to shreds and heading back into the office to continue to look through the books.

Suddenly she heard gunshots in the hall.

She unlocked the door slowly and peered out to try to see where it was coming from. 

A hooded figure armed with a machine gun stood above a face down Hitoshi. His eyes met hers and started toward her.

Andy started muttering a kill spell as she backed away from him.

He froze, his face going pale before he toppled to the ground.

Andy rushed to Hitoshi, checking him over quickly.

Several bullets to the back had killed him instantly.

She lifted him and took him into the infirmary before going back to find if there were more attackers.

She could hear raised voices coming from the kitchen, then several more gunshots.

Andy rushed in, ready to attack.

Six hooded men aimed guns at her as she entered.

“What do we have here?” One asked, eyes leering.

“She’s our doctor. Don’t hurt her.” Kei said quietly.

“You won’t be needing her. You’re going to need an undertaker.” He turned and fired, the bullet hitting Kei’s chest.

The witch fell backwards into a sobbing Etsuko’s arms.

“What do you guys want?” Andy growled.

“We’re just making sure you can’t stop our main force. Once they’re done, you’ll join them.” He motioned to the far wall where Jun, Akasa and Kiba lay.

Andy focused on Tet, hoping he could hear her,  _ “Base is under attack.”  _ She then started muttering a barrier spell to surround herself and the others.

_ “You too? What the fuck is going on?”  _ Tet’s voice was pained, sounds of gunfire echoing in her head.

“ _ Not sure..”  _ she finished the barrier spell before starting to mutter killing spells.

The leader aimed his weapon at her as his radio went off. “Found a retard in the infirmary. Took out his friend. Should I kill him?”

Andy finished the kill spell, praying it would take all the men out.

Several men did go down, the leader turning in alarm as they dropped. “What the fuck?”

Andy left the safety of the barrier, shifting quickly and biting into the man. 

He screamed, firing wildly before going limp.

Andy ran to the infirmary, spotting the man on the radio. She moved toward him quickly.

He turned, firing at her as Ryusei suddenly jumped on his back. The porter wrapped an arm around the man’s throat.

One bullet grazed her shoulder but she continued to approach, biting into him. When he was down, she reverted and looked at Ryusei, “You okay?”

He grimaced, holding his right side. “Good enough. He killed Ryon.”

“I know.. we have a lot of casualties. I’ll be back in soon to heal you up, okay?” She gave him a small smile before heading out. She sniffed the air, trying to see if she could smell any other intruders. After not finding anything, she started taking the dead to the infirmary. She then checked Ryusei over.

He was bleeding heavily from his side, and she noticed blood in his hair as well.

He pushed her away. “Focus on them.”

She said a quick healing spell to start closing his wounds before working on healing everyone else up. It took her hours, but she finally finished. She then focused on reviving them. After they were all breathing once more, she healed Ryusei. 

Pacing around the infirmary for a few moments, she tried to focus on her next plan. She soon focused on Tet and teleported to him to see how he was and check the situation at Headquarters.

Several black suited men were guarding the conference room while others were stacking bodies. Two caught her eye and she gasped.

She started muttering kill spells aimed at the men, slowly watching them drop.

Inside the room, Tsukasa grimaced as he held a bandage over Tet’s chest. His hands were bloodstained as he tried to staunch the flow.

When all the men in sight were down, she moved to the pile of bodies, teleporting Daiki and Kenji back to the infirmary. She then went to the conference room and slowly opened the door.

Tsukasa caught her eye. He scanned the room, then gave her five eyeblinks. Suddenly, one of the men swung his gun into the dragon’s jaw. He slumped unconscious to the floor.

Andy moved in, shifting into snake form and slithering around and biting into one of the men.

The man yelled out, trying to hit her unsuccessfully. His eyes rolled up and he collapsed.

Andy slithered forward, lunging at another man and sinking her fangs into him. She then moved under the table to analyze where the other men were. 

They bunched together near Tsukasa, eyes warily watching the floor. One pointed his gun at the unconscious man, yelling “Show yourself or I’ll kill him!”

Andy slowly moved out from under the table, still in snake form. 

The man threatening Tsukasa smiled coldly. “You actually believed me?” He laughed, firing once into the dragon’s chest. “So naive. Now revert.”

Andy didn’t move for a moment, then quickly pounced at him, shifting into panther form and ripping into him with her claws. 

He screamed, dropping the gun as he tried to fight her off. Soon he was still on the floor.

Andy turned to look at the other couple men and let out a growl. 

They ran for the door in terror.

Andy let them go, choosing to revert and check on Tsukasa and Tet. She teleported them back to base and started healing them. 

“Is the base safe?” Tsukasa’s voice was a pained whisper.

She nodded, “Don’t worry, I took care of everything.”

He nodded, his strength giving out. His eyes closed.

Andy finished healing Tsukasa and Tet before healing up Daiki and Kenji and reviving them. After all of that, she bandaged her shoulder up and sat down, watching the group of unconscious men. 

Ryusei was sitting on one of the beds, head on his knees.

“You okay?” Andy asked softly.

“I didn’t hurt anyone while I was messed up, did I?” He raised his head slowly. “Everything’s kinda foggy.”

“No. Well, you freaked out on Akasa, but nothing major. You mostly just sat there doing nothing but rocking,” Andy admitted.

“That’s a relief.” He lay back and stared at the ceiling. “They said I was a trial. Said they had plans for all of us.”

Andy sighed, “Well, at least that guy is gone and I burnt that building down..”

“Ever think we should find a deserted island somewhere and never come back?”

“Well, that’s probably a better idea than the ones I’ve thought of,” Andy gave a small smile.

“Too bad we can’t teleport buildings. We could just take the whole base and disappear.” Kei opened his eyes with a chuckle.

Andy laughed, “If only it were that easy.”

The witch sat up and looked at her. “I take it our unwanted guests are toast? And everyone is still breathing?”

“Yep. I even rescued our friends from Headquarters.”

“They were under attack too? What the hell?”

“Yeah, I’m still not sure what they were after exactly.”

“Blueprints.” Tsukasa’s voice was stronger, though still tired. He pushed himself up on one elbow. “They were trying to get blueprints to the experimental weapons.”

“Damn.”

“They didn’t get them though, thanks to you.” He looked at Kei. “Your girlfriend is in the hall. You might want to make her stop crying.”

The witch’s eyes went wide, then he cursed and ran out.

Andy gave a small chuckle before checking everyone over again. 

Kiba blinked his eyes open, then gave her a soft smile. “The circumstances suck, but I sure like waking up to you.”

Andy blushed slightly and smiled, “How are you feeling?”

“Woozy, but okay. Is Jun alright? He tried to use Kei’s vines and it backfired on him. They shot him while he was trying to recover.”

“He should be alright,” Andy glanced over at Jun for a moment. 

Kiba pushed himself up. “I wish I’d taken them out first.”

“It’s alright, at least they’re dead now.” She sat in the chair next to him. 

Over the next ten minutes, the others awoke. Last was Jun, who still looked pale.

“I’m starting to feel inadequate.” He remarked as he sat up slowly.

“Why?” Andy asked. 

“I haven’t been able to heal you  _ and _ I nearly killed myself trying to do a simple spell.” He sighed dejectedly.

“You’re still learning. You won’t be great at everything right off the bat.”

“I guess.” He didn’t look convinced.

“Plus, you’re good at other things. Like helping me keep my shit together.”

“Anyone can do that. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has lectured you.”

“Other than when Kiba yells at me to get my shit together, you really are the only one. And another thing only you could do was help me save Yamae. He’s alive because of you. And so am I.”

“I just helped with Yamae. And you’re still sick, so I don’t consider it an accomplishment. Unless you’re talking about the other thing. I was the cause of some of that.”

“I meant the other thing. And you weren’t the cause.” She sighed, “How do you know it’s not gone?”

“I don’t know. You ever get the feeling that something’s off but you can’t put your finger on it? Kinda like that, only I know exactly what’s wrong. But I can’t seem to fix it..”

“It’s alright, thank you for trying. Some things just might not be fixable with magic. I’m going to look into some medical options too.” She sighed, “Did Akasa tell Kiba the whole thing? I’m going to kick his ass.”

“He told me you were working too hard and getting migraines. I figured nobody’s spells had worked, so I asked Jun.” Kiba stared at them quizzically.

Andy nodded slowly, “Yeah, working on fixing Yamae and then Ryusei haven’t really been helping my head.” She then muttered, “Still wanting to kick his ass.” 

“He’s trying to help. He’s worried about you. And I think he can sense that. He made himself scarce when he woke up or didn’t you notice?” Kiba sighed.

Andy sighed, “I know he’s worried, but I just wish he’d trust me when I say I’m working on it and not just ignoring my problems.” 

“You have to admit that more often than not, you are the queen of ignoring your problems. You put everyone’s well being and safety before your own, so it’s kinda hard not to suspect you’re doing it now too.” Jun pointed out quietly.

Andy sighed and looked down in silence. 

Jun cursed. “Sorry for the lecture.”

She shook her head, “It’s alright. I’m going to go talk to Akasa..” She stood and went to go find him. 

Her search led to his room, his door locked.

She knocked, “Akasa? Can we talk?”

The lock turned and the door opened a bit.

“Come in. I’m just getting some things together.” The nurse called from the bedroom. A zipped suitcase sat by the door, another open one on the couch.

Her heart sank, “Where are you going?”

“Put in my resignation with Boss before our guests showed up. I figure by tomorrow I’ll be out of a job again, so I’m packing. I know you’re angry and probably came here to fire me so I beat you to it.”

Andy sighed, “Even though I  _ was  _ angry at you, I never would have fired you. I came to apologize for having gotten angry. I know you’re just trying to help.” She looked down with tears in her eyes. “I should know by now to take help when I get offered it, but I apparently just keep pushing people away. I even have been trying to let people in more, especially after I hit my low point and tried to kill myself. But apparently, I’m just blocking everyone out again. I’m sorry I’m a disaster who needs people to keep taking care of me. I understand if you don’t want to work with me anymore, but you don’t have to be jobless. Either I’ll leave or get you a job at the clinic.” She still hadn’t looked up, tears starting to stream down her face.

“Who called you a disaster? I’ll kick their ass.” Akasa lifted her chin with a half smile. “You are not a disaster.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You have every right to be mad. You specifically asked me not to say anything and I broke your trust. I’d be fired anywhere else for that, if not sued. And I haven’t been totally honest with you either.”

She raised an eyebrow as she wiped at her eyes. “Well, this  _ isn’t  _ a normal work environment.”

He chuckled softly. “No shit.”

Andy sighed, “I’d like you to be honest with me, but if you want to have your own secrets I won’t force them out of you.”

“It’s time you knew. I wasn’t fired from my last job. I was let go for medical reasons. I have hepatitis c and a snake disease called inclusion body disease. I’m a rare case because it doesn’t ever show up in cobras.” He sat down after closing the open suitcase. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”

Andy took a deep breath, “You should have known I wouldn’t have cared and would have hired you anyway.”

He gave a small smile. “I know. I was hoping I could find a cure for both diseases but so far nothing. And now they are starting to show up more.”

Andy looked thoughtful, “We might be able to come up with a seal spell to stop the progression?”

He winced, rubbing his chest a minute before answering. “You really think that would work?” He began to stand. “I don’t want to cause you more trouble. I-” He stiffened and fell to his knees, gasping for air.

Andy knelt beside him, saying a few spells to try to help. She then helped him onto the bed. “It won’t cause me more trouble. Let me just figure out the spell, okay?”

He gave her a weak nod, his breathing labored as he fought to stay conscious.

Andy got some paper and started writing words down. After a few minutes, she put her hand on Akasa’s chest and started reciting the spell. A seal appeared on him before fading away. She then focused her revival energy on him, silver light surrounding him as she tried to heal him.

He shone as the light encompassed him, his eyes closing as he was put to sleep. After a few minutes, the light faded away. His breathing was stable and she noticed his color had returned.

Had she been so wrapped up in other things that she had failed to notice him growing sicker right before her eyes?

She sighed and headed back to the infirmary to check on everyone in there.

Tsukasa looked up from a sheet of paper. “Should I be submitting this to the General?”

“Akasa’s resignation? No.”

“You sure? He was pretty insistent about it before I left. Said he had messed up and was taking responsibility.”

“While he did mess up, I think we’ve come to an understanding.”

“Alright, if you say so. Am I cleared for duty?”

“You can work in your office, but don’t go getting into any fights for a while,” Andy chuckled.

“Not planning on it, but we know how that goes.” He gave her a grin before leaving.

Andy looked around to see who was still there. She sat down next to Jun and gave him a small smile.


	43. Chapter 43

Andy looked through the potion bottles in the office, finding them nearly empty. She’d been using them almost daily to counteract the side effects of the chemotherapy she was doing to try to get the tumor to go away. She’d been sneaking to the clinic in the early morning to do the treatments before she made the group breakfast. 

After letting out a sigh, she headed to the lab to start making more of the potions, but she soon found a lot of the ingredients used up. She headed off to find Kei. Walking up to him with a smile she asked, “Want to go with me to get potion ingredients?”

He gave her a grin. “Sure. Give me a second, I’m supposed to meet Hiroki.”

She nodded and waited. 

Soon, Hiroki appeared down the hallway, giving them a small wave. 

“Hey, we’re going for potion supplies. Wanna come or should we just meet up later?” Kei asked as he adjusted his hat.

Hiroki shrugged, “Not like I have anything else to do, so why not?”

Andy smiled, “Alright, I’ll drive.”

Kei and Hiroki began telling her stories of their time together.

“So I snuck the potion into his coffee and wham! He sounded like a bullfrog for a week.” The witch laughed as Hiroki rolled his eyes.

Andy chuckled.

“At least I got you back for that,” Hiroki stuck his tongue out. 

Andy soon pulled up to the store, putting the car into park. 

Both men got out of the car laughing.

Andy was about to speak when she felt something prick her arm. She turned her head to look and noticed a dart. She let out a curse, “Guys, we have trouble.” She leaned against the car as the tranquilizer started acting. 

Kei began to mutter a spell, but dropped after two darts hit him.

Hiroki growled, looking around for where the darts were coming from. He tried to dodge one but was soon knocked out. 

Andy fought against it but soon slid to the ground. 

She woke, finding herself tied up in a cell with the others. She looked out of the cell for any clues as to where they were. 

Hiroki blinked his eyes open slowly, growling again as he fought against the ties. 

Kei lay motionless, still under the effects of the double dose of tranquilizer.

“My my, look what the cat dragged in,” A woman approached the cell.

Hiroki rolled his eyes, “Great to see you too.”

She scowled, “You could be nicer you know.”

“Yes, be nicer to the people who kidnapped my friends and I?” Hiroki spat.

Andy raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“We’ll have some fun together once your friend wakes up.” The woman walked off.

“Do you know her?” Andy asked softly.

  
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Hiroki sighed, looking down at Kei. 

The witch groaned as he regained consciousness. “Tell me that  _ wasn’t _ who I think it was..”

“Yeah, it was.”

“ _ Fuck _ . Can we hit restart on this day?” Kei pushed himself to a sitting position with a wince.

Hiroki stayed quiet for the next hour until the woman came back. 

“I think we’ll start with your friends,” the woman smiled evilly.

“Go to hell,” Hiroki glared at her in defiance.

“That’s no way to treat the woman who brought you into this world. You should be grateful you’re even still alive.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Your mother?”

“She’s anti-shifter..”

“Yes, I am. I have no idea how I managed to give birth to one of those disgusting animals,” the woman growled before unlocking the cell. She reached in and pulled Kei out.

He struggled, angrily retorting “More like  _ he _ can’t believe he got birthed by a viper.” 

She backhanded him, knocking him to the floor before kicking him hard.

He gave a sharp cry, his eyes blazing. His lips began moving in a spell.

She kicked him in the face, stopping him mid spell. She then pulled him up and putting the wrist ties up on a hook and grabbing some duct tape and placing it over his mouth.

Andy started a spell and the woman turned quickly, reentering the cell and placing duct tape on her mouth too. 

After locking the cell, she went to Kei, “You’ve been a pain. You might not be a shifter but you definitely need to be taken out.” 

Kei kicked at her in response, his eyes dark with fury.

The woman grabbed a knife off a nearby table and slowly approached Kei.

“Wait! Like you said, he’s not a shifter, he’s not your enemy, I am.” Hiroki spoke from the cell.

Andy stared at him, trying to think of a plan to get them out. 

“Aw, it’s cute you really think you can save your friend,” the woman laughed. “But if you’re that eager for this to be over with..” She unlocked the cell again. 

Andy quickly shifted into a snake, slithering out of the ties and duct tape. She lunged at the woman who soon stepped on Andy to stop her. 

Andy struggled against her, trying to get to an angle to bite. Soon, she struggled to breathe and then she reverted to try to push the woman over. Andy was kicked in the chest, knocking her breath out. 

Hiroki pushed himself to his feet, ready to charge at his mother.

His mother still was holding the knife, “Don’t you dare move or she’ll get it.”

Hiroki paused for a moment, a flash of worry crossing his face.

Andy used the moment of distraction to bite into the woman’s leg.    
  


She let out a growl and plunged the knife into Andy’s back before pulling it out and kicking Andy off of her. “Don’t think you can take me down that easily.” She moved toward Hiroki with the knife. “I’m finally taking care of the monster I created.” She moved to stab him.    
  


Hiroki jumped back before headbutting her in the face. She growled and stumbled backward. 

Hiroki kicked her down to the ground, moving to grab the knife and cut the ties off of himself. He then went to Kei and gently ripped off the tape and cut his ties. 

“Andy!” Kei ran toward her, only to be confronted by the woman.

She was standing in front of Andy, eyes full of anger. She moved quickly, her hands wrapping around Kei’s throat and squeezing.

He tried to get free, hitting her repeatedly as his face turned red.

She continued to hold her hands to his throat, jabbing her thumbs into his neck. Bruises were starting to form as he weakened. 

Hiroki went and pulled her back off of Kei, jamming the knife into her chest.

She fell back with a gasp, eyes widening. 

Hiroki went to Kei, “You okay?” He put a hand on the other man’s shoulder. 

Kei’s eyes were cloudy as he coughed. “Now I am. Thanks.” He rubbed his throat and swayed.

“Think you can teleport us out? Cuz I don’t think she can,” Hiroki looked down at Andy who was currently lying on the ground, barely conscious. 

“Yeah, think so..” Kei grabbed on to both of them and muttered the spell. The minute they materialized, he fell to the floor unconscious.

Akasa knelt beside the two of them in surprise. “What the hell happened?”

“We got kidnapped by anti shifter people. He was strangled and she was stabbed,” Hiroki said quickly, helping get them into beds.

Akasa began muttering spells over Andy as he put pressure on the wound. “Can you monitor Kei until I can get Andy taken care of?”

Hiroki nodded and stood by his friend worriedly, checking his pulse. 

Andy pushed her eyes open but when she noticed they were safe in the infirmary, she passed back out. 

Kei suddenly began gasping for air.

“Dammit! Hiroki, get an oxygen mask on him!” Akasa was relieved to see Andy’s wound closing.

Hiroki nodded and reached for one, putting it over Kei’s mouth and nose.

Akasa cleaned Andy up, then hurried to Kei’s side. He swiped a penlight over the witch’s eyes, then grimaced. “How long was he attacked for? Did he pass out before getting here?”

“Maybe a minute? And no, he was conscious still until we got here.”

Akasa nodded as he finished his examination. “That’s one good sign. It usually causes unconsciousness quickly. But it looks like there was a lot of pressure and his throat is starting to swell. I’m going to use some spells but he may end up on a respirator.” The nurse began to recite a spell quickly.

“He’s going to live though, right?” Hiroki watched.

“Probably. But there’s a possibility of brain damage and he  _ could _ die from side effects.” Akasa quickly rechecked him and cursed. “Respirator kit, please.”

Hiroki handed it to him, “If she ended up killing him, I’m going to have Andy revive her just so I can kill her again.”

“You know she won’t let you do that.” The nurse quickly set Kei up, then sighed.

“How’s Andy?” Hiroki finally looked up from his friend.

“The wound’s closed, and I’ve got a transfusion going. She’s going to be sore as hell but she’s not in any danger.”

“That’s good,” Hiroki said quietly. 

“Are you injured?” Akasa eyed him.

He shook his head, “I’m fine.”

Akasa nodded, sitting down in a chair heavily.

Hiroki sat down next to Kei’s bed silently, continuing to watch the witch. 

Kei’s vitals were low but steady. He would have appeared asleep if not for the tube connecting him to the machine.

A few hours later, Hiroki was still sitting by Kei’s side. Andy groaned and pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked over. “What happened?”

“She strangled him before I killed her,” Hiroki answered.   
  


“Are you alright?”

“I will be. It’s not like it’s the first time she’s come after us, and at least now I know she can’t come back,” he said quietly.

Andy nodded slowly.

Kei’s monitor beeped warningly as his oxygen level dropped slightly.

Hiroki looked at it in alarm.

Andy pushed herself up and went over to Kei, checking him over. 

“Akasa mentioned there could be brain damage..?” 

Andy gave a small nod, “With lack of oxygen it’s always possible.”

“I hate seeing him like this. He was worse the last time we ran into her though..”

Andy sighed softly.

“I’ve always known she’s been a bitch, I just always hoped one day she’d change.”

“I’m sorry,” Andy said gently. “At least you have Kei and the rest of us who care about you.”

He nodded silently. 

Andy took a moment before starting to mutter some more healing spells over Kei. 

The alarm stopped beeping.

Akasa entered, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “You shouldn’t be out of bed yet.” He crossed to Kei’s side and sighed. “His throat kept swelling, even after I intubated him. His oxygen levels keep dipping and his heart is having issues. He hasn’t woken.”

Andy frowned, taking a moment before pushing revival energy into him to try to heal him. Silver light surrounded him for a minute before fading. Andy swayed for a moment before leaning forward on the side of the bed.

“He looks a little better,” Hiroki assessed.

Akasa growled “What have I told you about exerting yourself after getting injured?”

Andy gave him a small smile, “Not to do it.. And what do I do everytime...?” She stuck her tongue out. 

Hiroki gave a small chuckle, “You should probably take more care of yourself.”

Akasa shook his head. “One lesson she’s never learned.”

Andy gave a small smile before pushing away from the bed and starting to head to the office, “I’ve been better lately..” 

Hiroki raised an eyebrow, “Shouldn’t you go back to bed?”

“I will in a minute, just grabbing something,” she smiled. She went and took the last of her potions before going back and climbing into bed. “Wake me if he gets worse.”


	44. Chapter 44

Andy read over the scans she took of herself, frowning before ripping them up. She then glanced over at Kei who was still unconscious. Hiroki had spent a lot of his time there, but was currently out sleeping. Ryon and Yamae had been checking in a lot too, but they were currently out at school with Ryusei. 

“Ryusei, can I talk to you?” His professor asked after releasing the class. 

The porter grimaced, but nodded. He stood waiting, his eyes downcast.

“I was just a little concerned by your first assignment. Is everything alright? Writing wise, it’s fine, so you got an A, but subject wise, I just wanted to check on you,” she smiled softly. 

He gave her a tiny smile. “A friend of mine was attacked and is in the hospital right now. I promise my work will improve.”

“Sorry to hear about your friend. Hope they get better soon.” She then added, “If you ever need help or want to bounce ideas off of me, my office is open.”

He gave her another smile. “Thanks Professor.” He looked up for the first time and stopped in shock. He stared at her, then shook his head in disbelief.

She raised an eyebrow, “You okay?”

“Sorry. You just look like the twin of a good friend of mine. It’s kinda weird.” He looked at his watch. “Crap. I’m going to be late for work. Thanks again for not yelling.” He headed out the door quickly.

He got to a safe area and teleported to the infirmary. “Hey Andy? Do you believe in dopplegangers?”

“Supposedly there’s at least seven people who look exactly the same as you in the world,” she answered before raising an eyebrow, “Why?”

“My new professor looks like your twin, I swear. I almost fainted when I took a good look today.”

“Hmm. Take a picture?”

“No problem. How’s Kei?”

“Still asleep. He’s almost all healed up now though, so I’d hope he’d wake soon.”

Ryusei nodded, then snapped his fingers. “I forgot! They handed out faculty pictures.” He dug through his bag, then pulled out a picture. “Here’s Professor Rain.” He pointed her out to Andy.

Andy stared at the picture for a moment before grabbing her head. Memories flashed through her mind quickly until one of her parents performing a memory spell on her. Tears filled her eyes as she looked back at the picture. 

“Andy? Are you alright?” Ryusei watched her in concern.

“They made us forget each other...”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“You know how most necromancers don’t live to adulthood? Because their powers normally start at a young age?”

The porter nodded with a look of disgust. “Because everyone’s afraid like idiots.”

Andy nodded, “Our parents made us forget about each other, because I revived her. So I’d be safe.. Your professor  _ is  _ my twin...”

Ryusei’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit.. Are you going to go see her?”

“What if she doesn’t remember me like I did..?” Andy looked down at the picture. 

“Won’t know if you don’t try.” Ryusei shrugged.

Andy nodded slowly, “Will you take me to her?”

“Sure. Hold on.” He grabbed her arm and teleported outside her office. “Should I stick around?”

“Maybe..” Andy knocked slowly, unsure what to say.

The door opened and Arie froze, staring at Andy for a moment before finally asking, “Daka?”

“Rie..” Andy pulled her into a hug. They stayed like that for a good few minutes before pulling away.

“I can’t believe.. I knew I was raised by my aunt, but I thought my parents died..”

“I can’t believe magic could make us forget about each other.”

“Are they still alive?”

Andy looked at her sadly and shook her head, “No.” 

“How did you find me?”

“One of your students is my friend.” 

“Ryusei, right? He said I looked like his friend.” 

Andy nodded, “Come with me and catch up?” 

“Sure,” Arie smiled. “Where are we going?”

“We work on a military base.” 

Arie raised an eyebrow, “Never expected that from you.” 

“I’m a doctor. And everyone in the squad is porters, shifters, or witches.” 

Arie raised an eyebrow, “Sounds like you live an exciting life. Take me to meet them?”

Andy nodded and looked back out at Ryusei, “She’s coming to hang out with us. Hope that’s okay.”

“She’s family now.” His phone rang. He answered and his eyes darkened. “Understood.”

“What’s wrong?” Andy asked. 

“Tet just sent out a Code Armageddon from his location. I gotta go. You should get the infirmary ready.” He vanished, leaving the two of them alone.

“We should probably wait to spend time together. Sounds like I’m going to be busy..”

“I just found you again.. Can I come with?”

“You better be fine with blood,” Andy answered before teleporting them both to the infirmary. Andy started grabbing out supplies as she told Arie a bit more about her life with the team. 

Arie looked over and noticed Kei, “Is that the friend Ryusei said was attacked?”

“Yeah.. We get attacked a lot..”

Kai suddenly appeared holding an unconscious Yamae and a semi conscious Hiroki. He placed them on the nearest beds with a grimace.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Arie asked.

“Unless you know healing spells, you should probably just stay back.”

“I know a few..” Arie went to Hiroki who raised an eyebrow.

“Am I seeing double?” Hiroki asked.

“Nope, that’s Arie,” Andy answered. Arie started reciting the healing spells she remembered over Hiroki. Andy looked over Yamae, starting to heal him up.

Ryon ported in, one hand on his side and the other around a woozy Kiba.

The wolf took one look at Arie and snarked “Oh god there’s two of them.”

“Shut it,” Andy answered before helping him into a bed. She started healing him up as Arie went and tried to help Ryon. 

The porter kept anxiously pacing back and forth, blood making a trail behind him. “Come on..”

“I can do a few healing spells if you sit down?” Arie said softly.

He sighed, finally sitting in a chair. One foot tapped repetitively.

Arie did the healing spells, slowly closing up the wounds. 

Andy looked at Kiba, “How bad is the situation?”

“The code should give you a clue. Can I go back yet?” The shifter fidgeted on the bed.

“You aren’t going back,” Andy answered. “Who is still out there?”

“Tet.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Stitch went to get him. They should have been here by now unless the squad got them.”

“I’ll go find them,” Andy answered. “Rie, keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll be back.” 

Andy focused on Ryusei and teleported to his location.

He lay crumpled in a puddle of blood next to Tet. Both had several gunshot wounds and neither were breathing.

Andy sighed and knelt by them, teleporting them back. She put them into beds. 

Arie froze as she noticed them. She looked Ryusei over, tears in her eyes as she realized he was dead. 

Andy worked on healing both Tet and Ryusei.

“Why are you healing him if he’s dead?” 

“Don’t you remember why our parents split us apart...?” Andy raised an eyebrow.

“Not really..” 

“Just keep watching.” 

Andy soon focused, the gold light surrounding them. 

Arie gasped as they started to breathe. Her mind flashed back, water pulling her under, the gold light, and then finally opening her eyes again to the sun. “I died...”

“Yeah.. You did.” 

Tsukasa came in, then froze. “Andy?”

“Everyone is doing okay now.” She gave him a small smile. “And this is Arie.”

“Did you do a clone spell?” The dragon raised an eyebrow.

“Our parents wiped our memories of each other after I revived her as a child..”

He stared for a moment, then nodded quietly. “Hope she isn’t traumatized.”

Arie gave a small chuckle, “Just a lot to take in in one day..”

“Believe me, I know how you feel. I’m Tsukasa, also known as Boss. Nice to meet you.” He looked at Andy. “How long do you think Tet and Kiba will be down?”

“Kiba will be fine soon. Tet will take a bit longer. What do you need?”

“It seems today is the day for disaster. Kenji just called for evac. He was on a one man mission that has apparently gone completely to hell.”

“I’ll go take care of it.” Andy focused on Kenji and teleported out. 

Arie raised an eyebrow, “Does she constantly just rush into battle like that?”

“Try to stop her. She went after a hellhound armed with nothing but a pistol twenty minutes after meeting that idiot.” He indicated Kiba.

Arie gave a small chuckle, “She’s always been crazy.”

Andy appeared next to Kenji.

He looked only a little worse for wear and quickly handed Tsukasa a usb. 

The dragon gave a salute and left.

Kenji raised an eyebrow at Arie. “Two beautiful mademoiselles now? I feel exceptionally lucky.”

Andy chuckled, “She’s my twin, Arie.”

“The world can never have enough of you, cherie.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Rie, this is Kenji.”

He gave her a bow and a dimpled smile.

“Nice to meet you,” she smiled softly. 

“The pleasure is mine.” He chuckled before wincing.

“Get in a bed,” Andy ordered before starting healing spells on him.

“Oui.” He settled into a bed.

When she was done with healing him, Andy moved to sit by Tet.

Arie came and sat next to her.

“This is Tet. He’s one of my boyfriends.”

“One of?” Arie smirked.

Andy blushed, “Yeah, Kiba is my other one.”

Arie chuckled, “I can’t even get one guy and you have two?”

“I would be glad to take you out.” Kenji piped up from his bed.

Arie blushed, “Alright. Where do you want to go?”

He gave her a smile. “You choose.”

Arie smiled in return before looking back at Andy. They continued to talk for the next while, catching up on all their years apart.

“Andy?” The voice was faint and slow, coming from the other side of the room.

Andy stood and followed the voice.

Kei was blinking at the ceiling, his eyes slightly hazy. 

“Hey, good to see you awake,” Andy smiled softly.

“What happened?” He stared at her in confusion. “Weren’t we fighting Hiroki’s bitch of a mother?”

“Yeah, you’ve been out for a while.”

He slowly sat up with a frown. “How long exactly?”

“A couple weeks..”

“Shit.” The witch grumbled. He stopped when he saw Arie. “Uh.. what’s going on?”

“Found out I have a twin.”

“Seriously? What is it with twins around here?”

Andy chuckled, “Not sure, but we do seem to have a lot, don’t we?”

“At least you two are easier on the eyes..” The witch joked.

Andy rolled her eyes at him while she laughed.

Jun poked his head in. “Hey sleepyhead. Nice to see you up. Maybe now Birdboy will start sleeping longer than two hours a night. Mind if I steal Andy away for a minute?”

“What’s up?” Andy went over to him.

“Not feeling real well. But everything tells me I’m healthy. Wondering if you can read my energy, see if there’s something going on?”

Andy nodded and closed her eyes, focusing on him. “It seems like you have a lot of energy, but nothing seems bad?”

He gave a shrug. “Maybe I should go to the range and let off some power. Thanks.” He waved and disappeared down the hall.

Andy went back into the infirmary, smiling at Kei as she passed and went back to check on Tet and Kiba. 

Kiba gave her a soft smile as a growl was heard. “Grumpy rug is awake.”

Andy chuckled and headed over to Tet. 

He was staring at Arie, his eyes puzzled.

Arie gave him a small smile.

Andy chuckled, “Hey, how’re you feeling?”

“Better than when Stitch found me. Did I get a concussion?”

“No, you should be fine,” Andy smiled. 

“Why are there two of you then? Or am I dreaming?”

“Meet my twin, Arie.”

“ _ Twin _ ?”

“She died when we were nine, and I revived her... Then our parents erased our memories of the event and each other and sent her to live with an aunt. Trying to keep me safe..”

“Damn..” He looked at Andy. “It’s a good thing I didn’t try to kiss her.”

The twins both laughed. 

“It’s been a crazy day, to say the least.”

“No argument there.” His stomach growled and he blushed in embarrassment.

“I’ll go start dinner, okay?” Andy smiled. “If you don’t mind just keeping an eye on everyone?” She looked at Arie.

Arie nodded and gave her a small smile. 

After Andy was out of the infirmary, Arie looked at Tet, “So, how long have you known her?”

“A couple of years now? I apologize for my memory, but repeated concussions do a number on exact dates.” He shifted position, hissing as strained muscles protested.

Arie chuckled softly before trying to use a few healing spells on him to help the pain. She then sighed, “It’s been years since I’ve seen Daka.. To some extent it feels like no time has passed. And then we start catching up and it really hits me how much of our lives we’ve missed. She’s really been through a lot hasn’t she?” She then looked concerned, “Is she sick? I get the sense that something is wrong but I don’t know how to bring it up..”

He narrowed his eyes. “Not that I know of… Maybe we should gang up on her and make her tell us?”

Arie looked thoughtful, “Maybe. I’d rather not upset her though.” 

“If she needs help but is hiding it… I’m going to kick her ass.”

Arie gave him a small smile, “I’m glad that she has so many people who care about her.”

“Can’t help it. She’s literally the reason why we are still alive. Plus I couldn’t stop loving her if you put a gun to my head.” He looked toward the door with a soft smile.

Soon, Andy reentered with trays of food for all the awake patients. She passed them out then sat back down by Tet.

He gave a smile as he started eating. When he was finished, he pushed it aside and locked gazes with her. “Darlin, is there something you want to tell me?”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

He rolled his eyes. “Are you hiding being ill?”

She looked down, “I’ve been trying to take care of it with Akasa and Jun.. but yeah, I guess.”

“I thought you three were conspiring about something. Why didn’t you tell us?” He raised her chin. “Thought we agreed to no secrets?”

“I didn’t want to worry you..” she sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“You know I worry more when you don’t say anything. Now what  _ exactly _ is wrong?”

She whispered, “Brain tumor..”

His eyes went wide in shock as Kiba froze.

“The migraines… and you didn’t say  _ anything?! _ ” The wolf tossed his fork down angrily.

Tears started to fill her eyes, unsure what else to say.

Arie just looked at her sadly, “Can’t you fix it with a spell?”

“It’s not that easy..”

Tet stared at her in terror. “I can’t lose you..”

“It’s alright, it’s not  _ that  _ bad yet. It had been worse but Jun shrinked it a few times.. I’ve been trying chemo but it doesn’t seem to be working..”

Tet clenched his fists as he fought his emotions.

She looked down again, the tears starting to spill, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure there’s something we can do. I’ll look through my aunts book of shadows and see if I can find anything,” Arie gave her a small smile.

Andy nodded slowly, “We’ve been through our parents books and a couple others and still haven’t found anything. But I’m not giving up yet.”

Tet took a deep breath. “Better not.”

Andy wiped at her eyes, “I’ve been surprisingly positive about it. I know we’ll figure it out somehow.”

Arie moved to hug Andy, “I just found you, I won’t let you go that easily.”

Kiba chuckled. “Another member of the we love Andy club.”

Andy gave him a small smile before asking, “Are you guys mad at me?”

“I decline to answer as it might incriminate me..” Tet and Kiba chorused, laughing.

Andy sighed. 

“Why don’t you go get some rest? You have my number, we can hang out again soon,” Arie smiled. “And I’ll be working on figuring out some way to heal you.”

Andy nodded and gave her twin another hug, “You know the teleportation spell?”

Arie nodded before pulling away and disappearing. 

Andy took a deep breath before standing and starting to head out of the infirmary.

“Darlin, come here.”

Andy turned and raised an eyebrow before walking back to Tet.

He raised up and embraced her, whispering “I love you” in her ear before kissing her.

She gave him a small smile, “I love you too.”

“Time to share!” Kiba called out.

Andy chuckled and went over to him and gave him a kiss, “I love you.”

“We’re not mad. And we love you more.” Kiba returned the kiss with a smile.

“Thanks,” she smiled softly before leaving the infirmary. She headed to their room, laying in bed and thinking about her memories with Arie until she fell asleep.

  
  


**_Chapter 45_ **

“Let’s try this one?” Arie tried one more spell on Andy before they ran the scanner again. Each time she grew more and more frustrated, wondering if any of the spells would work.

“It’s alright, we’ll figure something else out,” Andy sighed, her headache getting worse.

“I’m going to help you somehow,” Arie spoke quietly as she flipped through more pages.

Arie growled as she got to the end of the book, slamming it shut. She closed her eyes, trying to come up with a spell. Before she even started the words, a light surrounded Andy. The necromancer looked at the light in confusion, “You have healing power?”

“Do I?” Arie opened her eyes and they went wide as she noticed the light.

“Seems like it,” Andy gave her a smile. When the light faded, Andy ran the scans again, staring at the printout in shock, “It’s gone..”

“We did it?” Arie looked surprised.

“I mean, it  _ could  _ always come back.. but it looks gone to me.” Andy smiled.

“Only question is.. how did I do that?” Arie chuckled.

“I’ll explain it to you later. I have to go tell a few people the news.”

Arie glanced at the time, “I have class soon anyway. See you later. Maybe we should go out and celebrate?”

“Sounds good. Maybe we can have a party here? They guys need a break anyway.”

Andy went and stuck her head in the office, smiling at Akasa.

“Uh oh.. Should I check my bed for traps?”

Andy laughed, “Arie apparently can heal. It’s gone.”

He yelled in delight, giving her a tight hug. “That’s fantastic!”

She smiled before looking thoughtful, “How’s that seal spell holding up?”

“Feeling pretty good. Not sure how to repay you.”

“You don’t have to repay me. I’m a doctor, healing is my job.”

He sobered. “Speaking of that, you might want to look in on Jun. He’s looking rough.”

Andy nodded and headed to find Jun. She knocked on his door and waited for a response.

He opened it, giving her a small smile. He was pale, dark circles under his eyes and he was trembling. 

As she watched, vines encased a small table, then vanished.

“Are you alright? Why don’t you sit down?” She looked him over worriedly.

He stumbled over to the couch, laying back with a wince. “I have no idea what’s happening. But I keep causing spells to happen without trying. The vines started last night and I almost strangled to death.”

Andy closed her eyes and focused on him, “You have too much energy. You need to let some of it go.”

“Been doing that every day, sometimes more than once.” He let his eyes close for a minute.

“You need to let more go then,” she sighed before pulling paper out of her pocket and starting to scribble on it. After a few minutes she put her hand on his chest and recited the spell she wrote. A seal appeared before fading away. “This  _ should  _ help your body stop producing too much energy but we still need to keep track of it. Start checking in everyday and I’ll check you over until we know you’re better.” 

“I’m responsible for the crater on the range.. Thanks by the way. Did you just come by to check on me?”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “A whole crater?” She then smiled, “The tumor is gone.”

His eyes went wide. “That’s great!” He gave a wry laugh. “Boss wanted to know if a ufo had crashed.. That should give an idea of how big it is.”

“Damn,” Andy laughed. “If you need help with your spells going nuts, let me know.”

He gave her a grin. “Ready to be run ragged? Pretty sure Kenji is still sore at me for messing up his date.”

Andy chuckled, “What happened?”

“Invisibility is bad when it comes time to pay the check. Arie ended up paying.”

Andy laughed, “Hopefully their next date goes a bit better.”

“Hopefully. As long as I’m far away, probably.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “You’ll get the hang of things. Just keep letting more energy go and that should help.” 

He nodded tiredly. “I hope I can sleep safely now.”

“If you want, you can sleep in the infirmary and I can keep an eye on you.”

“Not a bad idea honestly.”

She gave him another smile, “I’ll see you later. Let me know if you need anything.” She headed out to find Tet and Kiba.

They were in the gym, lifting weights and running on the treadmill.

Andy smiled widely, “Why don’t we throw a party tonight?”

Kiba paused. “I’m always in a party mood but out of curiosity why tonight?”

Andy grinned, “I’m completely healthy. Arie healed me.”

Both of them froze for a moment, then Tet was hugging her as Kiba kissed her.

Andy chuckled when they pulled away. “So.. party?”

“Absolutely.” They chorused in unison.

Her cellphone rang.

Andy answered it quickly, “Hey, what’s up?”

“The school’s under attack. I’m trapped in the English building with Arie.” Shouma’s voice was hurried.

“Any idea on who is attacking?”

“They look military but that’s just a guess. Andy, they’ve got Ryusei.”

Andy’s eyes darkened, “I’ll be right there.” She looked at Tet and Kiba, “There’s trouble at the school. I’ll be back soon.”

His eyes flickered. “Need help?”

“If you want? Are you good to go or do you need to change?”

“I’m fine.” He looked at Kiba. “Coming?”

The wolf nodded. “Try to stop me.”

“Alright then,” Andy focused on Ryusei and teleported them there.

They were in the auditorium, black clad men massed on the stage. Some of them appeared to be guarding something as a man raged. “I send you to get the woman and you bring me that?”

“Let him go,” Andy growled.

“How are you here when you were in the English building?” One of the men looked at her in shock.

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Cuz that isn’t me?”

Tet snarled. “You aren’t getting anyone. And you aren’t keeping him.”

“What do you want anyway?” Andy growled.

“You. My king wants you.” The man in charge laughed.

Tet and Kiba growled, shifting and standing between him and her.

“King? And why me?” Andy glared.

“He wishes immortality. King Crispin of Darvestan.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Not happening.” 

“Not acceptable. Unless you want him to die along with everyone else here?”

Andy froze, “Don’t hurt them.”

“Come with us and he’s free to go. No one else has to get hurt.”

“Alright,” Andy sighed.

“No fucking way.” Both Kiba and Tet charged the men. Tet pathed  _ “Get whoever it is out of here. We’ll take care of them.” _

The man glared at them, then snapped his fingers. Two men began dragging Ryusei toward the roof exit as the head man drew a gun and began shooting.

Tet and Kiba zig zagged toward him, avoiding the bullets. They leapt onto the stage and attacked.

Andy ran out of the building, then flew up to the roof, attacking the two men that had Ryusei. When they were down, she knelt by Ryusei, “Are you okay?”

He winced, nodding. “Darted me. Not sure I can port.” He looked behind her, his eyes going wide.

He pushed her aside, running for another man who had just emerged from the door. The man was aiming a gun at her, but Ryusei tackled him. There was a gunshot, then both of them were falling off the building. There was the sound of twin sickly thuds below.

Andy quickly flew down to Ryusei, starting to use spells to heal him. She soon moved him to the infirmary, getting him into a bed and saying a few more spells. She called for Akasa to help before she disappeared again, going to check on Tet and Kiba. She entered the auditorium slowly, looking around.

All the military men were dead. The leader had been torn apart. 

Kiba and Tet were lying on the stage. Both were unconscious, multiple injuries visible.

Andy got them to the infirmary, starting to heal them up. When they were stable, she went to the English building to check on everyone. 

Arie gave her a small smile when she noticed her enter. “You okay?”

Andy nodded and gave Shouma a smile, “Ryusei is safe, he’s badly injured but we’re working on healing him.”

Shouma nodded. “The men?”

“Dead.”

“Good.” He helped Arie to stand, a bloodstain on his shoulder. He caught Andy’s look and shook his head. “She healed me already.”

Andy nodded, “Alright, I’m heading back to the infirmary to help out more. Do you want to go home or do you have more stuff to do here?”

Shouma shrugged. “I’m free.” He looked at Arie. “What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’m going to go home and relax after all that commotion.”

“We’re having a party tonight if everyone is awake,” Andy smiled.

“I’ll be there then,” Arie replied.

Shouma went over to Andy, giving Arie a wave.

Andy teleported them back to the infirmary and went back to healing Ryusei.

Shouma paled as he caught glimpse of his friend. “You weren’t kidding. What happened?”

“He tackled someone.. right off the top of a building.”

Shouma face palmed. “Good grief.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before reciting more spells. When she was done, she sat down where she could keep an eye on the three men in beds.

“Let me guess, the two stooges did something stupid too?” The shifter eyed Tet and Kiba.

“They attacked the bad guys.”

Shouma nodded before exiting the infirmary.

Akasa sighed as he dropped into the chair beside her. “Definitely need to unwind after today.” He glanced over to a bed in the corner, where Jun lay unconscious.

“He doing alright?”

“He’s getting a new room. There was an incident with fire while you were out. Had to sedate him to get the flames out.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I don’t know what to do other than make him use up more energy.. I tried a seal spell, but I’m not sure if it’ll work.”

The nurse sighed. “At the rate it’s going, he’s going to kill himself if he can’t get this taken care of.”

Andy nodded, “I could try to take some of his energy out from him, but I’m afraid I’d take too much and hurt him.”

Akasa was about to answer when Kei rushed in. He went straight to Jun, his eyes glowing as he looked him over. The witch muttered to himself, then headed for the lab.

“You have any ideas to help him?” Andy followed.

“Possibly. I think his body is trying to adjust to an increase in his power. I’m working on a potion, but I could use your help.” He gave her a small smile. “I’ve had memory issues ever since.. I can’t screw this up.”

Andy nodded, “Let me know what you want me to do,” she gave him a small smile.

“Just verify the ingredients are all in?” He began to create the potion, his forehead furrowed in concentration.

Andy watched in silence, checking over the recipe book. 

As he finished adding things, he looked at her. “Everything there?”

“Looks good to me,” she double checked. “What will this potion do exactly?”

“Think of us earth witches as conductors. The earth is the power source and the spells are the wiring. Jun’s wiring is not conducting right. He’s 120 while the earth is 240. This should give him the rewiring needed to channel correctly again.” Kei muttered a spell, watching as the potion went from blue to yellow. “Fingers crossed.”

He made his way over to Jun, pouring the potion down his throat. “Once he wakes, we can check him.” He swayed slightly, beads of sweat on his forehead as one hand grabbed his chest.

“Are you alright?” Andy put a hand on his shoulder gently.

“You tell me. I’ve had chest pains off and on since I woke up. My head won’t stop pounding either. I actually forgot where my room was earlier.”

Andy frowned, “Sit down.” 

He did so, breathing deeply as he fought the pain.

Andy checked him over, listening to his heart and breathing. She then closed her eyes and focused, pushing energy into him as she tried to heal his problems. She knew those were effects that could happen from strangulation, but she hoped she could heal him enough to stop them.

He closed his eyes, giving a sigh as the pain began easing.

She continued to push her energy into him for a few minutes, until she allowed the light to fade away. 

He sat there for a few minutes, then looked at her. “I’m not doing well am I?”

“Not really. How are you feeling now, though?”

“Better. What is happening to me?”

“It’s all side effects from strangulation,” she sighed.

“Don’t tell Hiroki okay? He’ll just blame himself.” Kei exhaled softly.

Andy nodded then looked thoughtful, “Try not to worry. I know we can figure out a way to help you. We managed to save Yamae from cancer, we managed to save me from a brain tumor, I know we can find a way to save you from this.”

He gave her a nod before standing. “I’m going to take a nap.” He left the infirmary slowly.

“Are you alright?” Ryusei’s voice was soft, his eyes hazy from painkillers.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Andy approached and gave him a small smile.

He let out a relieved sigh. “Was scared I hadn’t gotten to him in time.” He reached a hand to his head with a frown. “What exactly happened?”

“In your attempt to tackle him, you threw yourself off the building,” Andy looked at him with a small smile, “Try not to do it again.”

“Oh. Yeah, definitely not one of my better ideas.” He paused, then grew alarmed. “Shouma? Arie?”

“Are both fine. Don’t worry.”

“Thank god. They looked like they were looking for her.”

“Yeah, cuz they thought she was me,” Andy sighed.

“Oops. Guess they were upset when they realized their mistake?”

“They tried to trade you for me when they realized. Then Tet and Kiba flipped out and attacked them.”

“Sounds the right speed for dumb and dumber.” Ryusei grinned as a now awake Kiba flipped him off.

Andy chuckled and gave Kiba a smile. 

“Says the idiot who fell off a  _ roof _ . Everyone okay?” Kiba rolled his eyes.

“Yeah,” Andy nodded.

Her cell rang.

She took a deep breath, “What now?” She clicked the button, “Hello?”

“Dr. Takimoto?” A male voice answered.

“Yes? Who is this?”

“Detective Sato. Do you know a Ryon and Yamae Takano?”

“Yes? What’s going on?”

There was a pause, then “I regret to inform you, they have been found dead on the campus of the local university.”

Andy took a deep breath, “I’ll be right there.” 

The phone clicked, the dial tone sounding.

“This started out as such a good day too...” Andy shook her head before teleporting to the campus. 

There was a swarm of police around a secluded outside study area. A tall detective separated from the crowd and approached her. “Dr?”

She nodded.

“Sorry for your loss. How do you know them, if I may ask?”

“We’re friends. We work at the same base together,” she answered. “Do you know what happened?”

“That explains the military IDs.” He pulled out a small notebook and read his notes. “Approximately a half hour ago we received a report of two bodies being discovered. Cause of death in unknown at this time. No injuries are present. It appears both just dropped dead. We’ll find out during autopsy. Did either of them have any medical issues?”

She shook her head, “If you don’t mind, can I take them for autopsy? I can talk to my boss if you need paperwork on it.”

“It’s out of the ordinary, but if the M.E. signs off, that will be acceptable.” The detective led her over to another man beginning to stand.

Two white sheets covered the bodies a few feet away.

Andy looked at them sadly before looking back at the man, “Hi, I’m Dr. Takimoto.”

“Dr. Nakano. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Andy sighed. “I was hoping to take them back to base for autopsy, if that is alright with you?”

“They are active duty personnel?”

She nodded, “Their deaths could be connected to one of our missions.”

“Understood.” He pulled out some paperwork, scribbling his signature before handing Andy a copy. “Keep me updated if possible?”

She nodded again and went to the bodies, pulling the sheets back and looking them over for a moment before beginning to move them. 

Once back at base, she laid them in beds in the infirmary and focused on reviving them. Once breathing, she looked at Ryusei, “Any chance you can edit police records? If these guys see them alive and go to check, it’ll end badly, I’m sure.”

He chuckled. “Not the first time. And Boss can take care of everything else.” He watched them with a frown. “What the hell happened anyway?”

“No wounds or anything, so I’m guessing a kill spell. Question is, who did it?” 

“Some black suited asshole who was looking for you.” Ryon grimaced as he sat up slowly.

Andy nodded, “Probably those same assholes from earlier.”

“What assholes?” Ryon gave her a look.

“They tried to go after Arie thinking she was me. They kidnapped Ryusei,” Andy answered. “Some king wants me to give him immortality.”

“That shit again? Ever feel like a rare commodity up for auction?” Yamae asked as he blinked his eyes open.

Andy sighed, “I hate all the bad things that come with being a necromancer, but I’m glad I can save you guys. I just wish they’d get the message that I’m not helping them with that.” She rolled her eyes, “It was going to be a good day, and we were going to have a party, but at this rate, who knows what’ll happen next.”

“Let’s do the party right now before our luck changes.” Kiba suggested.

Andy nodded, “I’ll go get everything ready.”

Tsukasa entered with a smile. “Already being done. How is everyone?”

“Everyone should be alright. We’re keeping an eye on Jun but we’re hoping he’ll be fine too. He’ll probably stay sedated for a few more hours.”

“How’s Kei? He wasn’t doing well earlier.”

Andy frowned, “I helped with the pain, but we still haven’t exactly figured out how to fix the problem. We’ll figure it out though, we always do.”

He gave a chuckle as Daiki pushed a table full of drinks in.

Andy smiled before calling Arie. Within minutes her twin appeared next to her.

“Party time!” Kiba laughed. He paused, looking over at the still unconscious Tet.

Andy smiled, “Maybe we should take the party elsewhere so they can keep sleeping?”

“Rec room?”

Andy nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

“Lead the way,” Arie grinned.

The awake men filed out of the infirmary, quickly congregating in the room.

Andy glanced at the sleeping men once more before heading out. Her and Arie made their way down the hall.

  
“You’ve had a busy day, haven’t you?” Arie assessed.

“It’s like that a lot around here,” Andy answered.

“How have you not gone crazy?”

“I’ve definitely gotten close..” She entered the rec room.

There was a lot of laughing as Shouma and Kiba were having a dance off. Shouma won to the sound of cheers. 

Andy chuckled before grabbing a drink. Arie followed her and got one too. They both sat down and started sipping their drinks as they watched the group.

Kei made his way over, laughing at some story his brothers were narrating. He forced a smile as he reached them. “This is welcome.”

“I figured we needed a party. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah. And with a day like today..” He leaned on the wall quietly.

Andy nodded and finished her drink, standing to get a new one. 

He slid down the wall, his eyes locked on his brothers. He looked sad for a moment, then winced slightly. “You haven’t told them, have you?”

Andy shook her head, “It’s up to you if I tell them. I totally understand hiding things..”

Arie rolled her eyes, “Hiding isn’t the best thing to do, you know.”

“Better than worrying everyone around me.”

Kei’s lips quirked as he watched them bicker. “Good. I know they’ll probably be angry at me, but I don’t want them attempting something stupid to save me.”

Andy nodded before looking at Arie, “I wonder with both of us healing him, if it’ll help?”

“I have no idea what I even did to heal you,” Arie responded.

“I’ll walk you through it, okay?” Andy turned to Kei, “Willing to let us try something?”

He raised an eyebrow, then shrugged before gasping quietly as his face went white.

Andy quickly rushed to him, kneeling beside him before looking at Arie, “Help me get him to the infirmary.” They lifted him and carried him out of the room, putting him in a bed. “Just close your eyes and feel your energy. Then push it into him.”

Arie nodded slowly.

Soon, both women were pushing energy into Kei, bright silver light surrounding him. After a few minutes, Arie started swaying, struggling to stay upright. 

“Stop before you pass out,” Andy ordered as she continued. Another couple minutes later, the light faded.

Arie sat down in a chair as Andy checked Kei over.

He was deeply asleep, all traces of the strangulation gone.

Andy let Arie rest a couple minutes before they headed back to the rec room and retook their seats.

Hiroki gave them a questioning look from across the room.

Andy just smiled at him.


	45. Chapter 45

Andy went to campus, waiting outside Arie’s office. Soon, she saw her twin approaching. She smiled, “How was class?”

“Alright. Some of these kids don’t seem to want to pay attention, but most of them are okay.”

Andy chuckled and waited for Arie to put her bag in her office. They then left the English building and started heading for the dining hall. 

Soon, Andy stopped walking, “Something’s wrong..” She looked around and noticed there weren’t any students on the normally filled path. As if on cue, several men appeared and surrounded them. Andy noticed their badges labeling them part of Branch. “I’ll go with you if you leave her alone.”

  
“We don’t just want you. If you have all this power, who knows what she’s hiding?” He reached out toward her. Andy started muttering a kill spell but was soon knocked unconscious by a tranq dart.

Arie was asleep the whole time, not waking up once, unlike Andy who had no idea how long she had been there, but like her previous times, she just remembered waking up over and over with scientists standing over her. She tried to fight against them but was soon knocked out again. 

An explosion rocked the building from outside as the door flew inward off its hinges. Several leopards ran in, jumping toward the scientists with growls.

The ones nearest Arie were savagely torn apart before one of the other scientists shot it down. He had a second to triumph before the other two tore his throat out.

A tiger and wolf raced in behind, attacking anyone left on their feet. A few minutes later, all the animals reverted. Leo and Jade quickly knelt beside the third leopard, revealed to be Kenji as Tet and Kiba tore the restraints off both women.

Andy woke slightly, blinking an eye open. Once she saw her boyfriends, she knew she was safe and passed back out. 

Arie woke, finding herself in the infirmary. She looked around in confusion, wondering what happened.

Kiba gave her a small smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Alright.. What happened? One minute I’m being attacked on campus and the next thing I know I’m here?”

“Branch reared it’s god forsaken head again. We rescued you two last night.”

“Branch?”

“The scientific arm of the military. They are a bunch of sick fucks who get their jollies experimenting on us.” Kiba scowled.

Arie nodded slowly, “Why did they want me though? I’m not military?” 

“Andy has been a target for years. Now her twin is here. They want to see what makes you tick as well as add things. We have all been experimented on at one time or another.”

“I shouldn’t have visited you and given you your memories back... I’ll just cause you problems.” Andy answered as she pushed herself up out of bed. She then looked at Kiba, “How long this time?”

“You’ll be glad to know only a few days.” He sighed, looking over at a bandaged and unconscious Kenji. “Everyone is alive.” 

Andy nodded slowly.

Arie stared at Andy in shock, “You seriously wish you hadn’t found me?”

“If it would have kept you safe, yes. Maybe I should do a memory spell so you forget me again.” She headed out of the infirmary. 

Tears filled Arie’s eyes and she let out a quiet sob.

“Dammit Andy..” Kiba muttered sourly. “I’m sorry she said that.”

“I don’t get it.. I mean, yeah I got taken, but I don’t even remember anything. It’s not that big of a deal, you know? So why...?” She wiped at her eyes. 

Kiba grimaced. “The very idea of you being taken is anathema to Andy. Add to it the fact we have no idea yet what Branch has done to you, if anything. It kills her that she couldn’t protect you. To her, your safety is everything.” He gave a fleeting grin. “She gave herself up once to a psychotic necromancer just to keep us safe.”

“She never told me about that, or Branch.. How much don’t I know about her?”

Tet gave a pained look. “Probably a lot. She tries to avoid discussion of Branch at all costs, even among us.”

“Do you know what happened to her?”

Everyone in the room grimaced as Tet reluctantly nodded. “Partly because we know what it’s like and partly because we’ve been with her a few times this has happened.”

“I doubt I can get her to tell me about it.. Will you tell me what you know so I can understand her?”

Tet paled at her question. “ _ Trust me _ , you do not want to know.”

Arie sighed, “Could you tell me some of the kinds of things has Branch done? Like what could they have done to me?”

“They could have done what was done to Daiki. Or could have turned you into a shifter like us. Or worse, done both at the same time..like Andy.” Tet’s voice was soft and pained.

“She’s never really mentioned that. I know she’s a witch and necromancer, and she mentioned something about being a panther, but I thought maybe she had a spell like I do to become a raven?” 

Kiba raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Tet shook his head. “No spell, Arie. She was  _ made _ a shifter and a vampire. She’s also had brainwashing attempted, along with us being used as leverage so she would work for them.”

Arie frowned, “How does she stay sane after all that?”

“Are any of us sane? We stay here even after being freed from our servitude. Would you consider that a sane act?” Kiba stretched his arms as he looked at her.

Arie raised an eyebrow, “You must like it somewhat then. And at least she gets to be the doctor she always wanted to be.”

“Admittedly furball here  _ is _ an adrenaline junkie. But it goes deeper than that. We’re family and only family understands. We share everything. Our happiness, our pain, our frustration with the world who doesn’t know we exist and if it did would probably hunt us to extinction.” Tet ran a hand through his hair. “Andy hates to see anyone in pain. It hurts her more when it’s who she considers family. You’re even more special to her because you’re  **actual** family.”

Arie nodded quietly. “I grew up knowing about magic but I never realized the world was this against us. I can’t imagine how much harder it is for her being so many things..” 

“Being a witch is nothing to most people. An alternative religion, a party trick to amuse your friends. Being “non human”? That’s the dangerous thing. They might even come to an understanding of shifters. But vampires? Can you imagine anyone but a Goth accepting them?” Kiba frowned. “Bad enough they were lied to. But Daiki, Jack, Zal and your sister would be burned alive if they were ever exposed. Hell, there’s been enough supernatural creatures after us, imagine all of humanity..”

Arie sighed, “I know she mentioned she has a thing against vampires.. Why is she against them if she is one?”

“Other than the fact that they have hurt all of us, how about they refuse to leave Tet the fuck alone?” Daiki leaned against the door lazily.

She raised an eyebrow, “Why him?”

“I used to be a combination vampire shifter. My mother was captured by Branch and forced to bear children. When they finished with her, they killed her. She just happened to be the vampire Queen. Guess what that made me?” Tet gave a small smile.

“So how are you no longer a vampire?”

“Andy rewrote my dna. But the vampires don’t accept it. Their plan is to have one of my mother’s vampire children bite me and have me reborn a full vampire with her dna restored. We’ve been fighting them for years now.”

Arie sighed again, “Sounds like you guys live such exhausting lives.. No wonder she makes you party and take off days.”

“Hell, those have gone wrong spectacularly a few times.” Kiba snickered. “Though honestly having to grade Stitch’s work is probably more exhausting..”

Arie let out a small chuckle. “So can you tell me more about that psycho necromancer you mentioned earlier?”

“Seltain? Not much to tell. He was obsessed with power. Wanted to strip Andy’s from her. He’s Jun’s dad of all things. Even tried to take him over completely once. Andy killed him.”

Arie nodded, “I should probably go check on her, shouldn’t I?”

“Might be a good idea. She hasn’t always been good at coping.”

Arie pushed herself out of bed and headed down to Andy’s room, knocking on the door before opening it. “Daka?”

Andy was lying in bed, curled up in blankets, tears streaking her face.

“Daka, I know you want to protect me. But I’m here for you. I’m your sister, I want to be in your life, danger and all.”

“You might have been fine this time, but what about the next? Branch always comes back...”

“It’ll be alright, I’ll find a way to deal.”

“I’m sorry. You probably think I’m just throwing a tantrum..”

Arie shook her head, “You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you? I might not know all of it, or understand exactly how you feel, but I understand you need time to figure things out and need to deal with things in your own way.”

Andy gave her a small smile, “Thanks..”

“Any time,” Arie wrapped Andy in a hug and ran her hand through her sister’s hair. 


	46. Chapter 46

Arie smiled at Kenji as they walked through the park, “This is nice.” She looked at the flowers and the nearby pond.

He grinned at her. “Not as nice as you, mon cherie.”

“So, why do you stick around here instead of going back to France?”

He paused before speaking. “Let’s just say I’m a political refugee. I’m also completely alone if I return.”

Arie nodded, “The group has become your family too?”

“Oui. They accept me, flaws and all.”

“I’m sure you don’t have many flaws.”

“Tell that to my roommate. He listed them once on the bulletin board and invited the guys to add things. Last count was 144.” He grinned widely, his eyes dancing.

Arie laughed in response. 

He laughed happily, entwining their hands as they walked. “And why I do admit snoring can be annoying, how is my natural athleticism a flaw?”

She smiled, “Doesn’t seem like one to me.”

He laughed again, releasing her hand and proceeding to do several back flips in front of her.

“Maybe sometime you should teach me how to backflip.”

“Anytime you like, cherie.” He took a breath as he grinned.

She smiled softly and took his hand again, continuing to walk.

He kissed her cheek, then looked around. “Beautiful surroundings for a beautiful woman.”

Arie blushed before kissing his cheek in return.

He smiled wider as he also blushed.

Arie looked up at the stars beginning to appear in the sky.

“Do you want me to drop you home?”

“If you’d like,” she smiled. 

He shrugged. “I just don’t want you to possibly get hurt.” His eyes roamed the park intently.

“Andy’s been trying to teach me how to fight, so I probably will be fine.”

“Unless you are like your sister, you can be controlled by a vampire. And this is the beginning of their nightly feeding.”

Arie nodded before smiling, “I’ll have to see if Andy can control me or not.” 

He stiffened as he saw several dark shapes slinking toward them. “Might be too late for that.”

Arie turned to look at them, trying to remember any of the killing spells Andy tried to teach her.

“What do we have here? A pair of not very smart lovers?” A creepy looking vampire licked his fangs.

Kenji pushed Arie behind him. “More like a pack of suicidal vampires.”

The creep scowled as he recognized the Frenchman. “You’re one of  _ them _ . You can’t keep our King from us forever.”

Kenji gave a smirk. “Maybe not, but  _ you _ won’t get to see him crowned.” He tossed a UV grenade to him, then covered Arie’s eyes as it went off and the vamp screamed, disintegrating.

When it was done, Arie looked around for more vamps, “We should get out of here.”

“Agreed.” He took her hand and began to run toward his bike. Suddenly he was yanked away from her by three large vampires.

“Arie, teleport!” Kenji screamed as they bit into him simultaneously.

Arie stared in shock for a moment before finally nodding, teleporting to Andy.

“What’s wrong?” Andy looked at her expression.

“Kenji.. vampires..” 

“Ok, deep breath. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

“I want to help.”

Andy winced but agreed, teleporting to Kenji. Arie focused on trying to recite a killing spell, while Andy bared her fangs, quickly biting into one of the vampires.

He snarled, thinking she was trying to get to Kenji’s exposed arm.

She drank from him quickly, watching him topple over before she turned to the other two. One fell as Arie finished her spell so it was just Andy versus one vamp left.

He dropped the limp shifter and charged at her.

She shifted into panther form and ran at him, sinking her claws into his flesh.

He hissed, his fangs snapping at her.

She growled, biting into him and tearing him apart. When she was done, she reverted then knelt beside Kenji. She looked up at Arie, “We’ll get him to the infirmary and take care of him there, okay?” She teleported them both back to base, getting Kenji in a bed and healing up the wounds before setting up a transfusion.

Arie stared at Kenji with worry, tears in her eyes. She looked at Andy, “How can you stay so calm, especially after having to fight?”

Andy shrugged, “It’s part of the job. Being a normal doctor takes a lot of patience and dealing with things going wrong. Being a doctor here, it’s even more common and to some extent you get used to it.”

Arie nodded slowly.

Andy checked the transfusion before trying to revive Kenji. The gold light surrounded him but soon faded with no reaction. 

Arie let out a sob, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. It didn’t work,” Andy frowned as she checked a few different things. Arie watched her working, occasionally looking down at the pale Kenji. She started crying as Andy continued to take longer.

After another transfusion bag, Andy tried the revival again. Arie let out a small sigh of relief as he finally sucked in air. She sat beside him once Andy was out of the way and waited for him to wake.

Ten minutes later, his eyelids fluttered. He whispered Arie’s name weakly as he forced his eyes open. “You’re safe..”

“Yeah. So are you. Just relax,” she gave him a small smile.

He returned it before his eyes closed again.


	47. Chapter 47

Andy glanced at the time, realizing she overslept. She climbed out of bed and grabbed her clothes, heading to the shower. When she got in and turned the water on she was covered in sticky purple Kool-aid. She cursed, waiting for it to clear out of the sprayer before washing it off. She had to scrub at a few spots that were starting to stain purple. 

When she was done, she headed to the kitchen like every morning, her mind working on prank ideas to pull on the team.

When Ryusei came in, Andy raised an eyebrow, “Kool-aid? Really?”

He paled, swallowed hard and spent the next ten minutes groveling in apology, explaining it was meant for Kiba after he switched the coffee to decaf.

Andy chuckled, “Don’t worry about it.” 

She handed him a plate when she was done with the food. 

After breakfast, she started a list of things she needed, then set to work on setting up her pranks. 

She knew Kiba would shower after working out, so she set Ryusei’s prank back up to get him. 

She decided she’d set the rest up for the next day. 

“RYUSEI!!! YOU’RE A DEAD MAN WALKING!”

Kiba emerged a sticky purple mess from the shower, mayhem in his eyes.

Andy giggled when she saw him, “I’m not sure purple is your color.”

“Very funny. I’m going to mummify and bury him in the range.” Kiba growled before heading for the shower again.

Andy laughed and started preparing her pranks for the next day. 

Ryon came in, wiping baby powder from his face and hair. “Will it upset you much if I turn Stitch into a pretzel?”

Andy laughed again, “How did he manage that?”

“Baby powder in the hair dryer.” Ryon chuckled. “It’s not a bad one but damn..”

Andy chuckled, “He’s getting more creative with his pranks, isn’t he?”

“That’s what’s scary.”

“He tried to get Kiba with Kool-aid in the shower,” Andy smiled.

“Thank god it wasn’t me.. Wait, tried? Who  _ did _ he get?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Me. But I set it back up and got Kiba for him.”

Ryon started laughing hysterically. “Sorry I missed it. His reaction, not yours. I don’t want to die.”

“Want to help me get him back?” she smirked. “And get more of the team while we’re at it?”

His eyes lit up with a mischievous twinkle. “Command me, O Queen.”

Andy quickly let him in on her ideas.

He was wiping his eyes when she finished. “Stitch is going to have to relinquish his crown. And remind me to never truly piss you off.”

Andy chuckled, “I’ll get everything in the kitchen ready in the morning. You set up the things in the bathrooms?”

“Your wish, my command.” He gave her a conspiratorial grin as he left.

In the morning, Andy set up everything before making breakfast. When Ryusei came in, she handed him a glass that looked like it had juice in it. 

He took a long drink, then spit it out and started coughing. He gave her a look.

Andy giggled, “Payback for the Kool-aid.” She handed him another glass, actually full of juice. 

He turned red in embarrassment. “I  _ said _ I was sorry..” He cautiously took a drink.

“Sonofabitch!” Tet came out, drenched with water. His eyes landed on Ryusei and he growled.

“Aw, what happened?” Andy handed him some paper towels.

“ _ Someone _ tampered with the sinks in the bathrooms.  **All** the bathrooms.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “At least water is harmless.” 

Kenji came out trying to scrub bright yellow from his hands. “The hand soap is rigged too.”

“Wow, someone’s been busy.” Andy raised an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t me, I swear.” Ryusei raised his hands in surrender.

“Must be Kiba then..” Tet mused thoughtfully.

Andy smiled and handed them plates.

Daiki came in, grabbing several blood bags and departing again. Two minutes later, he was back with a scowl. “I’m going to bite someone…”

“What’s wrong?” Andy looked up.

“Someone switched the blood for cherry kool aid…” He grimaced, then laughed. “Nice trick though. Want to know something funny?”

“What?” Andy chuckled. 

“Zal is drinking it. Says it reminds him of kindergarten.”

Andy laughed, “Check the infirmary fridge for blood, I’m sure there’s some in there.”

“Thanks.” He headed down the hall.

Ryon came in whistling. He grinned as he caught her eye.

She smiled and handed him a plate, “I got Ryusei with the juice.”

He laughed. “I got Tet with the sink, Kenji with the soap and Jade with the shower..”

Andy chuckled. 

“Green suits him, don’t you think?”

Andy nodded, “Seems like a perfect choice.”

He sat down as Tsukasa entered and homed in on the coffee machine. He filled his cup, added a lot of sugar and took a sip. He spit it out and smoke began rising into the air.

“What’s wrong?” Andy asked.

“Where’s the sugar?” He growled.

  
“Is that not sugar?” She pulled out a sugar bag from the cabinet.

“ _ That _ is fucking salt..” He poured out the contents of the cup, then remade his coffee. “First, he switched it with decaf. Now, this. Kiba is going to be manning a post in the Arctic if he keeps this up.”

Andy gave a small chuckle as she switched out the salt for sugar.

Tsukasa gave her a wry smile as he left the kitchen.

Jade entered, spots of green staining his face.

“Aren’t you a little tall for a leprechaun?” Ryon tried to keep a straight face, but failed.

Andy laughed, “Morning, Jade.” She handed him a plate, “It’s not really good for your face, but you could try nail polish remover to help get the spots off?”

He gave her a chuckle. “At least I’m not completely green anymore.”

Andy smiled, “That’s true.”

Zal glided in, heading for the fridge. “I want more kool aid. By the way, Ryusei and Kiba are hiding in the bunker because almost everyone is after them.”

  
Andy chuckled, “Check and see if there’s any more bags with kool-aid in them, and if not, I’ll make you some.”

He gave her a grin and began checking. After a few minutes, he pouted.

“None left?”

He shook his head. “Whoever did that should have done more. You should have seen Jack’s face. He  _ hates _ cherry kool aid.”

Andy laughed as she got some kool-aid mix out and started making him a pitcher full. 

He sat down next to Ryon and they began talking quietly.

Akasa came in with a scowl. “Whoever thought it was funny to make the infirmary beds look like that is going to get their ass kicked.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Look like what?”

“Wrapped bodies.”

Andy laughed, “That’s great. I’ll have to see it.”

Shouma stuck his head in, saw Akasa’s face and lost his composure. “What’s with the beds?”

“Apparently someone pulled a prank on him,” Andy chuckled.

Shouma tried to look innocent and failed.

Akasa glared at him.

“Come on, let’s go fix up the beds,” Andy nudged Akasa.

“Alright.” He shook his finger at the hawk, making him laugh harder.

After helping Akasa fix up the infirmary, Andy headed back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up from breakfast.

Kiba and Ryusei crept in, eyes wary. They relaxed as they saw the kitchen was empty aside from her. They sat down with matching sighs.

“You guys okay?”

“Avoiding everyone is hard.” Ryusei complained.

“Aw, they all think you guys did the pranks? Did you actually do any of them?”

“You know about the shower and I did get Ryon yesterday..”

“But the ones today weren’t us, I swear.” Kiba put his head on the table dejectedly.

“I think Shouma was the one that pranked Akasa,” Andy chuckled. “It’s alright, I’m sure it’ll all blow over soon.”

Both men laughed, then Ryusei muttered “Ryon’s gonna get me for the hair dryer I bet.”

“That was a good one,” Andy smiled.

“I do my best.” He grinned unapologetically.

Andy finished cleaning and sat down by them, “Well, whoever is pulling all the pranks today is doing pretty good. I thought Tsukasa was about to murder someone.”

“Someone do decaf on him again?” Kiba grinned.

“Salt in the sugar shaker.”

Ryusei snickered. “Wish I had thought of that. Then again, I don’t want to be extra crispy.”

“Yeah. He was thinking it was Kiba, so you might want to watch out,” Andy warned.

“Aw hell. I’m going to get transferred somewhere cold aren’t I?”

“He  _ did  _ mention the Arctic..”

The wolf groaned. “Kill me.”

Andy chuckled, “I’m sure you can survive with your fur.”

“With my luck, he’ll skin me first.” Kiba chuckled wryly.

Andy smiled before glancing at the time, “I gotta go meet Arie. I’ll see you guys later.” 

Andy met up with Arie and they headed to the used book store. They looked around for hours until Andy finally spotted something interesting. There was a book in a box with a deck of cards. Upon further inspection, she realized they were tarot cards. She purchased them then headed out to her car. When Arie joined her she spoke, “I wonder where this book store owner finds this stuff? This deck looks ancient. And one time I found Kei’s book of shadows here. I wonder if the owner is a witch?” 

Arie shrugged and climbed into the car. Andy put the cards in the trunk before heading around to get in. She was about to back the car up when a group of men stood behind it. She turned to look at them and froze, “Arie, get out of here.”

“I’m not just leaving you,” Arie answered as she looked back warily.

The front door was soon ripped open and Andy was dragged out. She attempted to bite the man but he punched her, knocking her to the ground. Arie started on a kill spell but was soon pulled out as well and was then injected with a sedative.

When Arie woke, she was tied to a table surrounded by scientists. One looked down at her, “We have your sister. She’ll stay safe if you do as you’re told.”

“What do you want from me?” Arie fought against the ties.

“Heal the people we bring to you, that’s all you have to do.”

Arie nodded slowly and hoped that Andy’s team would come rescue them soon.

  
  


Andy woke in a similar position, a scientist staring down at her and taking notes. Within minutes, she was given another drug and knocked back out.

  
Arie started healing the men that were brought to her, using the power like Andy taught her to. She lost track of the time, not knowing how long she’d been there. It felt like at least a few days though. They fed her and they promised they were feeding Andy too, so she continued to work. 

After healing a rather difficult case, she collapsed to the floor, her energy low. 

“Get up, we have more for you to heal.”

“I’m trying..”

“Don’t forget, we have your sister.”

“I know,” Arie said quietly.

“I think you’ll also be interested to know we have someone else important to you,” the man smirked.

She looked up in confusion, seeing a battered Kenji tied up.

Her heart sank, “I’ll keep healing, just keep him safe.”

“He won’t receive any more harm,” the man promised, “just keep doing your job.”

Arie continued to heal the people brought in until she finally passed out.

  
  


Andy felt foggy as she woke again, her mind unable to focus on anything. She stood, armed for battle, but she had no idea why. She soon blacked out again, her body now fully in Branch’s control.

Kiba froze as he saw Andy’s glazed eyes. “I’m going to destroy these bastards somehow! I swear I’ll bring you home.” He tensed as several Branch controlled people began to grab him. He fought but failed to get free and was forced onto his knees in front of her.

“Please wake up..”

Andy stared at him blankly for a minute. She woke slightly, feeling the foggy feeling again and she realized who was in front of her. She felt her body pull out a pistol and her hand shook as she tried to fight for control.

“That’s it! Fight, Andy!” Kiba encouraged her until he was punched in the chest. He gasped and coughed. 

Andy managed to move her head to look at the person who punched him, still fighting for control of the pistol. She finally managed to shoot the person, before pain raced through her head.

Kiba began to struggle again as a voice spoke from the darkness. “ **Kill him** .”

Andy pointed the gun at him, her aim shaky.

Kiba took a deep breath, his gaze locked on hers.

Andy fought the pain in her head, pulling the gun back and muttering, “I.. won’t.”

“ **Kill him or your sister will be the one to die. Slowly and painfully.** ”

“No..Arie..” she grabbed at her head as pain continued to spike.

“Andy. It’s okay. Protect her.” Kiba gave her a tiny smile.

Andy shook, fighting for control. She wished she could just shoot the person giving her orders. She prayed Arie would be okay before deciding she didn’t want to be used anymore. She pulled the gun back and pointed it at herself, quickly shooting before she lost control. She was once again swallowed up by the darkness.

Kiba screamed, fighting to get to her before a vampire sank his fangs into him. He was dropped as soon as he was drained.

  
  


Arie woke, finding herself back on the table.

“You couldn’t complete your duties.”

“I tried,” Arie let out a small cry. 

“You get one more chance, so don’t mess up again.” She was released, looking at Kenji who was in a cell across from her. She waited silently until more men were brought in to be healed. After a while, she was given a small break and she looked over to check on Kenji again, noticing he seemed to be waking up.

“Kenji?”

“Arie?” He gave a weak smile to her. He didn’t attempt to move, even though the position had to be uncomfortable.

“I wish I knew how to get you out of here.. I could try to teleport you out of here, but Andy is still around here somewhere..”

“Don’t worry about me.” He coughed and stretched painfully.

Arie looked at him sadly. “I really wish I knew where she was. She always has good ideas..”

He chuckled quietly, then closed his eyes. “You probably can come up with something.”

Arie took a deep breath before focusing on Kenji and teleporting into his cell. She then teleported him into the base’s infirmary. She looked around to see if anyone else was there.

Akasa was resting nearby, opening his eyes. “Arie? Kenji!”

“What’s been going on? I need to find Andy.. Can you help him?” She sounded panicked. 

“Branch has been attacking almost non stop. Several members are dead, more wounded. Tet and Kiba haven’t reported in yet.” He looked Kenji over, starting to mutter spells to heal him.

“Has Jun been reviving them?”

“Doing his best. He still is learning and after two or three, he passes out.” Akasa sighed, watching Kenji’s vitals intently.

Arie nodded. “Andy will kill me if I don’t check on Kiba and Tet first.. I’ll try to find them.” She focused and teleported to Kiba.

He was lying in an alley. The fang marks stood out on his pale skin.

Arie looked at him sadly before taking him back to the infirmary. She then focused on Tet and teleported to his location.

He was in the Branch base, crouched in a hallway near the science labs. He jumped as she appeared. “Which one are you?”

“You can’t even tell if I’m your girlfriend or not?” Arie rolled her eyes, “We have to find Andy.”

He had the good sense to blush. “Sorry, but when they say identical, they mean it. Ask Rei and Yoshi how many times I mixed them up.” He scowled. “She’s in there. Have no idea whether she’s okay or not. Kiba and I got separated. Have you seen him or Kenji?”

“Kenji is safe in the infirmary...” She took a deep breath, “Kiba’s dead..”

Tet bowed his head sadly. “How are you doing?”

“Not sure really. Too worried about Andy.”

“Know what you mean. When you two went missing, I almost lost it.”

“Let’s go get her back,” Arie gave a small smile before looking around. “Where would they keep her?”

“In the lab no doubt. She better be alright or I’m tearing them all into bite sized pieces.” He checked his pistol and moved toward the door. He looked at Arie, waiting for her nod. Arie nodded and threw the door open.

Tet charged in, firing at the guards and scientists. “Find her! I’ll take care of them!” He dropped the empty gun and shifted with a roar. He jumped into the fray and disappeared from sight.

Arie took down a few of the scientists with spells as she continued to look for Andy. She finally found her strapped down to a table, looking pale. Andy had a large blood soaked bandage on her chest. Arie touched her gently and teleported her back to the infirmary before going back to find Tet. 

Bodies littered the floor. Tet stumbled toward her, blood covering his shirt. He fell, his eyes dimming as he whispered Andy’s name.

Arie rushed to him, getting him to the infirmary before reciting healing spells.

Akasa touched her arm gently. “He’s gone, Arie. Help me with Andy?”

Arie nodded sadly, going to her sister and focusing healing energy. Light shone around the necromancer as her wound was healed. 

Soon, Andy’s eyes opened. She felt foggy as she stared upward at the ceiling.

“Andy?” Arie asked softly.

Andy moved her eyes to look at her but there wasn’t much recognition.

“What’s wrong with her?” Arie looked to Akasa worriedly. 

“Probably drugged with something. There was an incident a while ago similar with Ryusei.”

“What do we do to help her?” 

“She made an antidote for him. Let’s see if it works on her.” The witch disappeared for a few minutes, then returned and injected Andy. 

Andy felt some of the fog lifting, but still felt odd. She shakily pushed herself into a sitting position, looking around the room slowly.

Akasa gave her a weary smile. “Welcome back.”

Andy froze when she noticed Tet and Kiba in beds. She quietly moved off the bed to look them over. 

“You should rest more,” Arie said gently.

Andy shook her head and focused on the two men, working on healing and reviving them in silence.

Akasa shook his head, gently leading her back to bed. “Sleep, Andy.”

Knowing Kiba and Tet were now at least breathing, she nodded slowly and fell back to sleep soon after. 

“I wonder what they did to her..” Arie watched her sister sleeping.

“Nothing good.” Akasa sat down, running hands through his hair.

Arie looked over at Kenji, quietly watching her loved ones worriedly. 

“I worry what her reaction will be when she finds out what’s been happening.” The nurse sighed depressively.

“How long were we there?”

“Six months.”

Arie stared at him in disbelief, “It only felt like a couple weeks, how did six months go by?”

“You were probably awake for only a few weeks. Branch has a habit of keeping their subjects asleep while experimenting.”

“She’s going to flip..”

“Yeah, again.”

“She won’t go do anything stupid, will she?” Arie looked worried.

“Honestly? I don’t know what she’ll do.” Akasa noticed Jun stirring in the corner. He went to his side, checking his vitals.

“I need to get back to reviving..” Jun’s voice was weak.

Akasa shook his head. “Your energy is too low. We found Andy, by the way.”

Jun gave a small smile at the news before trying to climb out of bed.

Akasa glared at him. “Do I have to sedate you?”

Jun glared back. “You know the freezer can’t store them indefinitely. Soon it will be too late.”

“Don’t worry. Andy will be up again soon and I know she’ll help them,” Arie said softly.

Akasa sighed. “I hope so. Otherwise, she’ll be devastated.”

Arie sighed and went back to watching them in silence.

Kenji began to stir, his eyes blinking slowly. “What’s happening?”

“We’re safe in the infirmary,” Arie assured.

“Did you find Andy?”

“Yeah, we found her.”

His brow furrowed. “Something wrong? She’s not dead, is she?” His voice was filled with alarm.

“She’s alive. It’s just.. She seemed really out of it when she woke up. I’m not sure she’s totally okay. And once she finds out how long we were gone..”

“That bad huh?” He pushed himself to sit up. He looked around and winced as he saw Tet and Kiba.

“How are you feeling? Do you want me to try more healing spells?” Arie asked.

He gave her a small smile. “I’ll be fine, cherie.” He looked at Akasa. “Surprised Boss isn’t filling the base with smoke from worrying about us.”

Akasa grimaced and looked away.

“Is he one of the ones still dead?” Arie asked quietly.

Akasa nodded. “Jun couldn’t revive him. The extent of his injuries..”

Arie sighed sadly, “I hope Andy can fix him.”

Ryon shuffled in, eyes downcast. The usually neat porter was disheveled, his hair loose. He wore a loose robe, pajamas underneath. “Can’t sleep.” His voice was raw, as if he’d been screaming.

Arie looked at him sadly, moving to him, “I can do a sleep spell for you if you want.”

He looked up, his eyes puffy. “Glad to see you alive, Arie. Please..help me?”

She nodded, “Get in a bed.” Once he did, she covered him with blankets, then softly said a sleeping spell as she ran a hand through his hair. 

His eyes closed, tears on his lashes. His body relaxed.

Arie continued to rub his hair for a few more minutes before moving away. She checked Andy over again before sitting back down.

“How’s security?” Kenji had been quiet.

“Akira and Taka are on it along with Yoshi.” Akasa’s voice was dejected as he watched Ryon.

“Did Yamae or Kei die? Or Ryusei?” Arie looked at the sleeping man.

“All three, in front of him. He won’t talk about it while conscious, but his nightmares and the bodies give a pretty good idea what happened.”

Arie frowned, but didn’t ask more. She looked over at Andy and prayed she’d be able to save them.

  
  


Hours later, Andy woke again, still feeling in a fog. She sat up and looked around. 

“Andy? Hey, it’s good to see you awake again,” Arie smiled softly.

Andy just gave a nod in return before pushing herself out of bed and leaving the room.

Arie stared at the door in confusion for a moment before rushing out to follow her.

She found Andy standing in the now open freezer, staring at the dead bodies.

Jun was struggling to revive Tsukasa once again, his face pale and his hands shaking.

Andy went to Jun and put her hands on his, moving him away from Tsukasa without saying anything. She then closed her eyes and focused, first silver light surrounding every one of the bodies in the room, then it turning gold as she began to revive them. The process took almost an hour and by the time she was done she collapsed to the floor.

Arie went and lifted her up, carrying her back into the infirmary.

Jun followed slowly, staring at the floor as Akasa swore at him.

The commotion woke Tet and Kiba, who worriedly looked at the twins.

Arie put Andy back into bed, pulling the blanket up around her. She then gave Tet and Kiba a small smile, “She passed out after reviving people.”

The men gave simultaneous sighs of relief as Akasa shook his head. “She raised them all? In her condition?”

Arie nodded, “I wasn’t going to tell her not to. Though maybe then she’d say something.”

“She must have heard us talking.” Akasa pushed Jun back into a bed. “Stay there or I’ll restrain you.” The nurse quickly began moving the gurneys from the freezer to the infirmary. As he pushed Yamae in, he gave a smile to the waking Ryon.

The porter appeared to be in shock as he reached out a hand to touch his twin. He made a noise that was a cross between a sigh of relief and a sob.

Arie smiled as she watched before looking back at her own twin with worry.

“Arie, would you stay in here? I really need a nap.” Akasa looked even more tired than he sounded.

She nodded, “Go rest.”

He gave her a small wave before disappearing out the door.

Kenji entered, a bouquet in his arms. “Are you alright, cherie?” He stopped, examining the room. “I can see Andy woke up.”

“I’m fine,” she gave a small smile, “Yeah, she woke up then knocked herself out by reviving everyone at once..”

He chuckled before handing her the flowers. “Same old Andy.”

Arie closed her eyes as she smelled the flowers, “Thank you.”

“No, thank you. You could have teleported yourself out, yet you stayed.” The Frenchman took her hand and kissed it.

Arie smiled, “I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’m not that important, am I?” He cocked his head, watching her.

She nodded, “You’re really important.”

He gave her a slow smile, then kissed her cheek.

“You know, we have six whole months of dates to make up for,” Arie chuckled.

“Never fear, cherie. You will be properly wined, dined and treated like a queen.” He bowed to her gracefully.

She smiled as she blushed. 

He chuckled, then kissed her again and left.

Arie put the flowers on the table next to the bed as she continued to watch her twin. She finally looked up at Kiba and Tet, “Do you have any idea what they did to her? She hasn’t said anything the couple times she’s woken up..”

“Have you checked for throat issues? Other than that, could be selective mutism. Ryusei has had episodes of that over the years.” Tet sighed as he looked at the sleeping woman.

“She doesn’t seem to have anything physically wrong. I healed the one wound she had..”

“Give her time. She may be in shock.. We had an incident before I ended up as vamp snack food.” Kiba grimaced at the memory.

“An incident? That doesn’t sound good.”

“Understatement of the year. She wasn’t quite in control until the end of things. She shot herself…” Kiba closed his eyes as Tet froze in horror.

Arie stared at him, “Shot herself..?”

“They tried to get her to kill me. She was fighting and I gather they threatened you. I told her it was more important to protect you. Then she shot herself..”

“Darlin…” Tet’s voice was anguished.

Arie looked at her sister sadly, “From what I know about her past with Branch, I’m guessing she decided she didn’t want to be their puppet..”

“Came to the same conclusion. But it broke my heart..” Kiba slowly got out of bed, disappearing out the side door quickly as Tet sighed.

“Will he be alright?” Arie asked quietly.

“Hopefully. He probably is heading for the underground shelter. It’s where he goes to hide.”

Arie nodded slowly. 

  
  


After a while, Andy started to stir again.

“You with me, Daka?” Arie asked softly.

Andy blinked one eye open to look at her before giving a nod. She moved to sit up, taking a deep breath.

“Everyone is alive and doing alright,” Arie informed. “There’s nothing to worry about.” 

Andy looked around slowly, before looking back down at the blanket in front of her.

“Darlin?” Tet slowly approached her. “I’m so glad you’re here.. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner.”

She looked up at him then gave him a small look of confusion.

“We were gone six months, Daka..” Arie sighed.

Andy took another deep breath, trying to fight the tears filling her eyes. 

Tet looked at her for a moment, his heart breaking. He clenched his fists, then turned and ran out of the infirmary.

Andy watched him, and when he was gone, her tears turned into full on sobs. Arie wrapped her in a hug, letting her cry until she passed out again. 

Tet ran out of the base, into the forest. His eyesight blurred as the tears finally fell. He shifted and roared, slashing at the trees with his claws. When he got tired, he reverted and stumbled toward the cliff. He sat on the edge, his face in his hands as he sobbed.

Arie wanted to go find Tet and Kiba, partially to check on them, and partially to tell them to get their shit together to help Andy. She looked around though, and remembered she had to stay and watch everything while Akasa was gone. She just prayed they’d come to their senses and come back in. 

Kiba curled up in his wolf form, trying to stay warm in the shelter. He felt so guilty about Andy’s decision, he decided the cold was a fitting punishment. He closed his eyes.

Akasa entered the infirmary, frowning at Arie. “What happened?”

“Andy woke again and Kiba and Tet both ran off when she probably needs them the most.”

He rolled his eyes. “Knowing them, they’re battling undeserved guilty consciences. Both of them have issues around harm coming to Andy.”

“I’m going to go try to find them.. Keep an eye on her?”

“Of course. Good luck. Try the shelter for wolfboy. Tet is probably destroying the forest.”

Arie nodded and headed out to the shelter. “Kiba?”

He raised his head, shivering under his fur. He gave a small barking noise as she entered.

“Look, I don’t know why you’re out here, but I think Andy really needs both of you in there.. She’s currently sleeping but she cried herself to sleep a little bit ago. I think Tet running off made it worse though.” She sighed, “I don’t know you that well, but I know you mean a lot to my sister and she means a lot to you. So why don’t you go be there for her?”

He slowly reverted, shaking his head. “It’s my fault she shot herself.. She doesn’t need me reminding her..” He wrapped his arms around his chest, shivering in the thin t-shirt. “It’s better if she doesn’t see me for awhile.” 

“Listen to yourself. Your excuses sound pathetic. She shot herself because of Branch. And I’m not sure how much of her acting like this is because of her shooting herself.” Arie shook her head, “When bad things happen, the people you care about are supposed to be there for you.  _ I’ll _ be there for her if she needs me, and you should too.” She sighed and left the shelter, heading out to check the forest. 

She walked down the path of trees that were torn up, eventually finding Tet at the edge of the cliff. She spoke quietly so not to startle him, “Tet?”

“Before you say anything, you don’t know the full story of our relationship. I’m the reason Branch started going after her in the first place. So don’t tell me my guilt is misplaced or undeserved. I know she’s hurting because it devastates me twice as much. She has lost over a year to Branch. She’s been turned into a weapon, even twisted to believe we were the enemy once. She’s got the memory of killing some of us because I couldn’t let her keep her normal life. Fuck.. she  _ killed _ my father because of memories she saw of mine. Just about everything aside from Seltain’s hounds have been  **my** fault.”

He turned slightly to look at her. “So don’t lecture me on how I should be in there with her right now. Me being with her is the reason for this nightmare in the first place.”

“I can guarantee she doesn’t blame you for any of that. I also know she cried harder when  _ you _ left, probably feeling like you didn’t want to be there to help her. Your excuses sound pathetic, by the way. Who cares what happened in the past? What’s happening  _ right now _ is my sister needs us, and you aren’t there for her. Not every single thing that happens in life is your fault. So what if she killed your dad? She obviously wanted to. So what if she has memories of killing you guys? She probably blames Branch for that. Who  _ really _ cares about all that stuff? Not her. She just cares about you two and the pain she’s going through right now. I’m not going to spend my whole day out here trying to convince you to change your mind when she might be waking up again soon.  _ I’ll  _ be there if she needs it, even if the two people she wants most aren’t.”

She turned and started back toward the base. When she got back to the infirmary, she found Andy just staring at the blanket again. “Hey, I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.”

Andy shook her head, and tried to smile at her. She then pushed herself out of the bed and started out of the infirmary. Arie gave her a confused look but followed along. Andy went to her room and picked up Elsa, holding the cat close to her. Elsa was a lot bigger than Andy remembered, but she still fit fine in her arms. 

Arie gave her a small smile, “Alright, why don’t you take Elsa back to the infirmary? You should rest more.” 

Andy shrugged and motioned to the bed. Arie sighed, “Alright, you can stay in here then, but I’m staying with you, alright?” 

Andy nodded and climbed into bed, staring down at Elsa and petting her more.

There was a hesitant knock at the door.

Arie got up and opened it.

Kiba stood there looking like he would bolt any second.

“You want to come in?” Arie offered.

He slowly nodded, taking a few steps inside. He gave her a sheepish smile. “Must be a twin thing, but I could have sworn it was  _ her  _ lecturing me..”

Arie chuckled, “I’m glad you came to your senses. She’s just been petting her cat since I got back.”

He nodded, then slowly approached the bed. “Is it okay to be here?” He held his breath, ready to flee.

Andy looked up and gave him a small smile, reaching out to him.

His eyes started to well up as he took her hand. “I was so scared. I thought I’d lost you forever..”

“Sorry,” she said, barely above a whisper.

He held her as close as he could, shaking his head. “No apologies. I’m just glad you’re here.”

She rested her head against him, continuing to pet Elsa.

He sat there quietly, content to be near her.

Arie smiled, “I’ll go take care of making us some food, okay?” She headed out of the room.

Andy nodded and cuddled into Kiba.

“Are you really okay with me being here? If not, I’ll leave.” Kiba was quiet, trying to warm up without alarming Andy.

“Don’t leave. Love you,” Andy whispered.

“I love you too.” He wrapped them in a blanket, then kissed her.

Andy closed her eyes, just enjoying the moment.

He felt himself drifting off and sighed. He cuddled closer to her as his eyes slid shut.

Andy soon felt herself falling asleep, but was broken out of it when Arie arrived back with trays of food.

Arie handed a tray to her before asking quietly, “Kiba? Do you want to eat or keep sleeping?”

He slowly blinked his eyes open. “Hard choice.. Guess I’m warm enough to eat.” He pushed the blanket off him and yawned.

“I’m going to go check on everyone in the infirmary and take them food if they need it. I’ll be back soon if you need anything,” Arie gave a small wave before heading out the door again.

Kiba began to eat, his eyes on the door. He sighed unhappily.

After a while, Arie began to wonder where Tet was. She decided to go back out to check on him. She came up to the cliff, not seeing him sitting there.

There was a piece of paper held down by a rock.

_ ‘Darlin.. I’m sorry for everything Branch has done because of me.. Please forgive me. I love you forever and always. _

_ Tet _

Arie cursed and looked down the cliff. She teleported down to him and looked him over before teleporting him to the infirmary. “Akasa.. Can Jun help him? I’m afraid to tell Andy about this..”

Akasa sighed, then shook the sleeping necromancer awake. “You up to reviving someone?”

Jun shrugged. “I’ll give it my best shot.” He grimaced as he saw Tet, but began to focus. The blue light surrounded the tiger, then faded away. Jun cursed. “I can’t find him..” He tried again, then shook his head. “Either he’s resisting or he’s gone too far away to revive.. I’m sorry.”

Arie sighed and took the note to Andy’s room. She entered slowly, “Andy..?”

Andy winced at the way she said her name, “What’s wrong?”

Arie held out the note and Andy read it, her hand starting to shake as sobs took over. 

“Goddammit Tet! How could you do that to us?” Kiba snarled through tears. “Is Jun helping?”

“Jun can’t revive him. Says he’s either resisting or too far away?”

Andy growled, focusing on Tet, trying to bring him back so she could talk to him.

Tet appeared, his form shimmering. His features were sad as he saw her.

Andy stared at him for a moment, tears in her eyes, “It’s not fair, you know. It’s not fair that you think you can just off yourself but refuse to let me do the same. I read your note.  _ NOTHING _ Branch has done is your fault. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. No, I’m not going to forgive you for just leaving us. I’m not really in a good place right now, and you told me you’d be there to help when things got bad. But I see how it really is, you’re not there, you’re just running from everything but refusing to let me do the same. You know, maybe if I  _ do  _ kill myself and we’re both dead, maybe you won’t be able to run from me. But I see how it is, you don’t want to be here with us anyway, so I’ll live as long as I can to give you what you want.” Tears streaked her face as she tried not to sob.

Tet began to cry. “I  _ do _ want to be with you. But I’m terrified that one day you  _ will _ blame me. I know I deserve it, but it would destroy me worse than anything else that could happen to me. You told me once, you didn’t want to be what Branch made you. Since Branch only got interested in you because of me.. You shouldn’t have to be reminded every day..” His shape flickered as he fell to his knees and sobbed.

“Yeah, I did say I didn’t want to be what Branch made me, but then Kiba told me to get my shit together. I can’t run from what I am. You need to get your fucking shit together too, and realize that I’m  _ never  _ going to blame you. You don’t remind me of Branch just like Jun doesn’t remind me of Seltain. I wish all of you guys would get your heads out of your asses. At least when I tried to kill myself it wasn’t because of stupid blaming myself for shit.”

Arie stared at her, “You tried to kill yourself?”

Andy took a deep breath, “We’ll talk about that later..”

“I don’t know what else to tell you. I feel like I keep telling all of you guys the same things over and over but no one gets anything through their brains. I  **do not** blame you, and I never will. All I want is for the three of us to have each other to be there when we need them. I love you and all it does is hurt me more when you go and do stupid shit like this.”

Tet’s spirit kept sobbing, but managed “How can you not blame me? You were safe..but then I came back..”

“Do you know how upset I was that whole time you were gone? How unhappy I was? All I wanted was for you to come back and to be able to be with the group again.. I’d rather have this group, this family, and deal with everything I’ve been through than to not have you guys at all.”

Tet grew quiet, his spirit flickering in and out. He looked up at her sadly. When he spoke, it sounded far away. “I’m sorry.. I’m being pulled away.. I  _ want _ to stay!”

Andy focused on his spirit, trying to keep it from disappearing. “I’ll try to revive you, okay?” She rushed out of the room and into the infirmary, focusing on Tet and pushing all the energy she could into him. 

The spirit flickered and vanished from the bedroom and Kiba raced for the infirmary. “Tell me he’s back.. He disappeared..”

She continued focusing, trying to bring him back to his body.

After several more minutes, he inhaled sharply. His eyes cracked open. “I’m sorry...please don’t hate me..I’m sorry..I’m sorry..”

Andy leaned on the bed, “Shh, it’s okay. I don’t hate you.”

His breath hitched as he sobbed. “I’m sorry..”

“It’s alright, just relax and take deep breaths.”

“Don’t leave me..” He struggled to calm down, his hands gripping her shirt.

“I’m not leaving you, don’t worry,” she wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m such an idiot.. How could I say I don’t want to hurt you and then do this? I wonder if I’m destined for hell?”

“I’m sure you’re not.”

“After today, not so sure…” He closed his eyes and sighed. “ _ I _ hate me..”

“Well,  _ I  _ love you.”

“Some people would say you need your head examined. Or that codependence is a bad thing.”

“Well, I don’t care what they think,” she kissed him.

He returned the kiss hungrily, shaking under her touch.

“Are we okay now?”

“Isn’t that my line?” He gave her a shaky smile.

She smiled, “I think we’re okay.. If you do?”

He nodded as he sat up slowly.

Kiba approached. “Tempted to hit you for this..”

Tet nodded. “Go ahead.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Chill out. I don’t want to have to heal him again.”

Kiba gave a wry chuckle, opting to give Tet a tight hug instead.


	48. Chapter 48

Shouma whistled as he left the arcade and headed for his moped. He knew he was cutting it close to being late, but hadn’t been able to resist that last round of Tekken. He frowned as he saw a flat tire. He was reaching for his phone when a man walked up who seemed vaguely familiar.

“You need some help?”

The hawk shrugged. “I have someone I can call.”

The man gave him a strange smile, then sprayed a mist in his face.

Shouma felt himself getting woozy and tried to shift. Nothing happened and the last thing he saw before darkness was the man laughing.

Andy glanced at her watch, wondering what was taking Shouma so long. Finally, she took out her phone and called him.

The phone went to voicemail.

Andy cursed, trying to stay calm and not overreact.

_ “Darlin? Boss needs to see you now!” _

Andy sighed and teleported to Tsukasa’s office. 

The dragon was pacing, clouds of smoke being aired out by a grim looking Daiki. Tet was staring at the computer screen, his fists clenching and unclenching.

“What’s going on?” Andy asked quickly.

“Shouma’s been taken.” Tet’s voice was icy, his eyes flickering. He waved her over to the desk.

“Taken? By who?”

“Unknown at the moment.” Tet clicked the video link as she got to him.

Shouma was unconscious, hooked to an oxygen bottle. He was enclosed in what appeared to be a wooden coffin. There was a two hour timer on the video and text reading  **_Can you find him in time? Expect another email._ **

Andy growled, “Has anyone started searching?”

“The porters and most of the team are canvassing the area around the arcade. Moped was found with a flat tire, along with his phone.”

“The problem is he could be anywhere. Hell, he might not even be in the  _ country _ .” Tsukasa blew more smoke as he growled.

“I’ll find him,” Andy nodded before vanishing. She had focused on Shouma when she teleported, so she figured he had to be around there somewhere. She looked everywhere, looking for any signs of where he could be.

Nothing was visible. Then she saw his necklace. 

Andy grabbed it, looking further for any signs of moved earth in case they buried him. She still found nothing, pocketing the necklace for safekeeping.

Her phone rang.

She answered it quickly.

“We got another email.” Tet’s voice was furious.

“What’s it say?”

“The kidnapper wants something Shouma inherited. No fucking idea what that could be.”

“They don’t give any more information?” 

“No. Says if we’re really his friends we’ll know.”

Andy growled, “I’m going to keep looking.”

“Good luck.” Tet hung up.

Andy focused on Shouma again and tried teleporting, finding herself unmoved. She shifted and started digging holes in the ground looking for him.

After a while, she sat down on the ground to catch her breath, still not having found him. She prayed she’d find him in time as she pushed herself back up and tried to think of a better way to go about finding him. 

_ “Andy? Help me..I’m scared” _

_ “Shouma? Do you know where you are? I’m looking for you, try not to worry.” _

_ “I’m in a box? I don’t know.. The air is running out..”  _ His voice was weak and terrified.

“ _ Don’t worry, I’m going to find you.” _

_ “O..Okay. I’m sorry I was late..” _

_ “Don’t worry about it.”  _

There was silence for a moment, then she heard coughing.  _ “I’m so sleepy..” _

_ “Stay with me, okay? Everything will be alright.” _

_ “I’ll try..” _

_ “The people that took you want something you inherited.. Says if we’re really your friends we’d know what they mean, but we’re clueless. I’m going to find you anyway though, so don’t worry.” _

_ “Something I inherited?” _ He sounded puzzled.  _ “I inherited a lot of stuff from my parents.. A company, land.. Boss handles everything cause I’m not interested..” _

_ “I don’t know what they want exactly,”  _ Andy sighed,  _ “I’m doing everything I can to find you though. I won’t let them win.” _

_ “I trust you.. My eyes are so heavy though..” _

_ “Stay with me, Shouma. I know it’s hard, but I believe in you.” _

He chuckled quietly. “ _ Wish I was home with you guys..” _

_ “You will be soon, okay? We’ll play some games or something.” _

Suddenly she heard footsteps near her and heard a gun cocking.

“You really thought you could find him alone?” The voice was cocky, full of disbelief.

“I’m going to find him,” Andy said assuringly.

“Before or after the air runs out and the poison kills him?” A man appeared, aiming a small pistol at her with a smile.

Andy growled, “What do you want, anyway?”

“I want what’s due me. I was supposed to get the company! But our worthless father said I wasn’t worthy! Even though I worked my ass off, I was never good enough.. Well, now I will take what’s owed!”

“Wait.. Are you Shouma’s brother?” 

“ _ Half _ brother. You think I’d want to be a full relative of that  _ freak _ ?”

Andy rolled her eyes, “He’s a better person than you’ll ever be.”

“Riiight. The retarded kid who designs video games.. Amazed the military took him.”

  
Andy quickly charged at him, shifting just her hands and slicing at him with her claws. 

He pushed her back, then grinned as he looked at his watch. “That’s the end of the air. Wonder if he’s still alive or not?”

“How can you stand to do that to anyone, let alone someone you’re related to?” Andy growled. 

“Blood doesn’t mean anything to me. Certainly not that little retard. I do whatever I have to.”

Andy’s eyes glowed red as her anger increased. “You’re a piece of shit.”

“You wound me..” He put a hand exaggeratedly on his chest before aiming the gun at her head.

Andy quickly shifted into a panther, running and pouncing at him. She ripped into him with her teeth, clawing at him viciously.

He screamed, dropping the gun as he tried to fight her off.

_ “Andy..I’m sorry, I can’t.. Have to sleep. Just for a little while..” _ Shouma’s voice trailed off into silence.

Andy growled, continuing to claw the man until he quit moving. She focused on him a moment and realized he was dead. She sent energy into him until he was breathing once more. She picked up the gun and stood there waiting for him to wake. 

She didn’t have to wait long. 

His eyes blinked open, reflecting terror as he saw her.

“We’re going to have some fun,” Andy smiled coldly before shooting him in the arm. “The fun thing about being a doctor, I know exactly where to shoot to keep you alive longer.” She shot him again. 

He tried to scramble backwards, whimpering at the wounds.

Andy continued to shoot him, all in places that bled little. She had an evil grin on her face the whole time.

“You--You can’t do this! You’re a doctor!” His back slammed into a nearby wall.

“I can do whatever I want. Especially to shit like you.” She then shot him in the abdomen. 

He screamed, clutching the wound in panic.

Andy shot at him one final time, killing him. She once again revived him, unsure what she’d do to him but knowing he hadn’t gotten what he deserved yet. 

_ “Darlin! Have you found him?” _

_ “No, but I found the man who caused this..” He could hear the anger in her mind. _

_ “Darlin, the time’s expired. You have to find Shouma.” _

_ “I will.”  _

She stared at the man until he began to stir, “Where did you hide him?”

He watched her fearfully, then replied. “The third hole you dug.. He’s ten feet down.”

“Good.” She turned into a hawk and flew at him, ripping his eyes out with her talons. She left him there screaming while she continued to dig in the hole. She finally found where Shouma was, pulling the coffin out and opening it. She then turned back to the man, “Hey, piece of shit, you said there was poison? Do you have an antidote? I  _ might  _ let you live if you give it to me.”

His hand reached into his pocket, holding out a vial of orange liquid shakily.

Andy took it quickly before biting into his neck and draining him of his blood before going to Shouma and pouring the contents of the vial into his mouth. She then focused on him and let the gold light surround him until he started breathing again. 

“You..found me..” His voice was weak, his eyes blinking sleepily as he gave her a tiny smile.

“I told you I would,” she smiled softly before teleporting them to the infirmary and placing Shouma into a bed.


	49. Chapter 49

Kenji sat sipping his wine, waiting for Arie to arrive. He glimpsed her in the foyer of the restaurant and started to stand when a shadow fell across the table. He glanced up and froze.

“It  _ is _ you.. Guess it’s my lucky day. Your master will be overjoyed that you’ve been found.” The man standing above him was unprepared for the kick under the table. He gave a shout of pain as he fell to his knees.

Kenji ran for the door, grabbing Arie’s arm and pulling her with him. He didn’t stop his frantic pace until they were several blocks away, sinking onto a bench in the nearby park as he tried to calm his tremors.

Arie caught her breath and looked at him with worry, “What’s wrong?”

“Can’t believe he found me…” Kenji tried to quell his panic unsuccessfully, his breathing rapid and short. “Going to have to run..”

“Let’s get you back home for now, okay? You can tell me all about it there.” She focused for a moment before teleporting them to the base.

He was still shaking, his face pale. He sat down and put his head in his hands. “I thought I was safe.. He’s going to find me here.. I  _ have _ to leave before that happens.”

“No one is going to get you.” She said softly. “Why don’t you tell me who is after you?”

“My ‘owner’ sent his right hand man to find me.. He’ll kill or trap all of you and enjoy doing it. I need to get away before any of you are hurt. I won’t let him.. I’ll surrender first.”

“Owner?” Arie looked confused. “We aren’t letting anyone take you or us.”

Kenji raised his head slowly and winced. “My family was killed for supporting an unpopular leader in France who believed in equal rights for shifters. I alone survived, only to be treated like an animal and sold to an underground club. I was forced to stay shifted for several years. The patrons amused themselves with bets on us. One night after I’d lost, I was put alone in a cage. I somehow managed to revert and escape, fleeing the country. A few months later, I met Tet and he brought me into the squad.”

He sighed. “I’ve been afraid that I’d be found. I won’t risk any of you.”

Arie shook her head, “All of us care about you. We’re going to protect you.”

“You’ll die. Or worse, he’ll make you guys fight for sport.” The Frenchman looked terrified.

“Shh, it’s alright. We’re going to be okay.”

“You don’t understand.. He will stop at nothing to get me back. I won’t risk any of you. I don’t know if I can run though, his right hand has already found me once. I guess I just have to go back and hope someday to be able to escape again.” Kenji looked defeated. “If he doesn’t kill me in the arena first.” He stood and straightened his jacket, then pecked Arie on the cheek. “Tell everyone I’m sorry.”

“We’ll kill him before he gets you,” Arie wrapped her arms around him. “But we are  _ not  _ letting you go back to him.”

He shook his head. “I appreciate your resolve, cherie. But you don’t know what he does to people who keep him from what he wants. I refuse to make you or Andy be forced to heal or revive our comrades over me. Or worse, one of you gets hurt or dies. I am  _ not _ that important.” He pulled away as Andy entered.

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “Am I interrupting something?”

“Don’t let him leave,” Arie begged. 

Andy looked at Arie before using a spell to freeze Kenji. “You guys aren’t breaking up, are you?”

Arie shook her head, “No, someone’s after him and he’s refusing to let us help.” She updated Andy on the details.

Andy nodded, gently lifting Kenji and locking him up in case the freezing spell wore off. She then went to Tsukasa’s office.

The dragon appeared bored as he signed paperwork. He looked up and brightened. “Please tell me the apocalypse is here. I’m about to lose my mind.”

“Someone’s after Kenji and they sound dangerous. I’ve locked him up since he’s refusing our help.”

“Idiot Frenchman. Doesn’t have the brains God gave his feline counterparts. You have details?”

“Apparently this guy used to  _ own  _ Kenji, and is trying to get his play toy back.”

“ _ Own _ ? What the fuck?” Tsukasa’s eyes blazed.

Andy nodded, “He ran into this guy’s right hand man earlier today, so it’s only a matter of time before the guy comes looking. Arie is keeping watch over Kenji as well, she didn’t want to leave him. So basically, we either wait for someone to find him, or find a way to search for him. I don’t know what he looks like so I can’t just port to him.”

“Can’t you get the information from Kenji?” The dragon frowned as he sat back thoughtfully.

“I’ll go try asking him. Not sure what he’ll give since he’s refusing help.” She sighed and headed down to the cell she locked Kenji in. She unfroze him, “I’m sorry about locking you up, but we can’t let you leave for your own safety. Is there anything you can tell me about the people after you? Names? Locations?”

“Matthew Etienne is my owner. His right hand is Cyrus. You can’t keep me here. I won’t have anyone fighting and dying on my behalf. Last known location was Paris, but if Cyrus is here.. Matthew won’t be far behind. Just  _ let me go. _ ” Kenji gave her a pleading look. “This is my problem.” 

“If anyone in the group has a problem, it’s all our problem. We’re family, it’s what we do.” Andy said gently. 

“And we can choose to fight for you if we want to, you can’t tell us not to,” Arie added.

“No one should fight. My problems should not matter.” Kenji sat down, his head in his hands. “He will torture you and enjoy it. And in the end, he’ll still get me. This way you all stay alive.”

“You should know I’d rather go down fighting than let my friends give themselves up,” Andy sighed. 

“Let me know if you need anything, I’ll stay here with him,” Arie looked at her twin who nodded.

“You can’t keep me here.” Kenji gave Andy a brittle smile. “I know how to port.” His lips began to mutter the spell.

Before he could finish, Andy said the spell to refreeze him, stopping him from moving his lips.

She took a deep breath, “We’re not letting you go that easily. Just let us help you.” She headed out of the room and went to find Ryusei to look up information on Kenji’s owner.

Ryusei growled to himself as he downloaded the data. “Found him. On paper he’s as clean as the stovetop. If you dig further, you find all sorts of shady shit. Tax evasion, mob ties. Rumors he helped bankroll several countries’ coups. Suspicions of murders and accidents that could never be tied back to him. Has a private island in the South Pacific rumored to be a haven of illegal fights and prostitution. He’s a real peach.”

“Got a picture?”

Ryusei shook his head. “He hates photographs. A paparazzi cameraman disappeared last year after he told his editor he had pictures.”

“What about this Cyrus guy? Any info on him?”

“Former mob leg breaker from what I’ve found.” He tapped a key and brought up a picture. “A face not even his mother can love.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll start with him to find Matthew..”

“Is it true he  _ bought _ Kenji? Like some kind of auction item?”

“Yeah,” Andy’s eyes blazed.

Ryusei snarled. “I’d love to have a piece of him..”

“Well, I’m going to go take out this Cyrus guy. If I end up needing help, you’ll be one of the first to know.”

He nodded as Tet stalked into the room. “I swear I am going to put Kenji through a wall.”

“Why?”

“He keeps insisting he isn’t worth saving. Your sister is in tears because he told her he was just an animal, that he wasn’t human. Did you know he’s like our bird twins? He lied to us.”

Andy growled, “After I’m done saving his ass, you’re going to need to keep me from beating him up for making Arie cry.”

“Stand in line. He’s resigned from the squad, told Boss it had been a mistake leaving France.” Tet paced the room angrily.

Andy rolled her eyes. “Keep an eye on things here. I’m going to go find Cyrus and figure out where this Matthew asshole is.”

“Call if you need us. Though I may be distracted by practicing on the idiot.”

Andy nodded, focused on the image of Cyrus in her mind, and teleported.

He was slouching in a chair outside a coffee shop. He straightened as she materialized, his eyes roaming her body hungrily. “Are you my dessert?”

Andy resisted the urge to punch him, instead giving him a soft smile, “I could be, if you can give me some information.”

His eyes narrowed. “I have an employer who takes a dim view of traitors. I like my life.”

“Your employer won’t be an issue for you if you just could give me a location of where he is,” she said quietly.

“You looking for a job?” Cyrus’ lips curled into a smile. “If you are, I test out all the new girls.”

“As fun as that sounds, I’ve actually heard about the shifter fighting. Was interested to see what it’s all about.”

“Why don’t you come see a fight? We’ve got one tonight on my boss’ private island.”

“That would be great. Where can I find it?”

“I can get you in.. for a small fee.” His eyes locked onto her chest.

“Sounds good,” she smiled softly, still trying to prevent herself from just smacking him.

He reached for her, his eyes lustful.

She was unsure how else she’d get the information unless she went along with what he wanted. She then quickly pathed Ryusei,  _ “Do you have a location on that private island?” _

_ “Got it.” _

_ “Oh thank god.”  _ She moved toward Cyrus, trailing a small line of kisses down his neck before biting into him and quickly draining him. 

After pulling away, she took a deep breath then teleported back to the base. “You seriously just saved me,” she said to Ryusei.

“That bad?” The dragon gave her a smile.

“I’ll do a lot of things for information, but I’d rather not do what he had in mind.” She gave a shake of her head before focusing, “There’s a fight tonight. I’m going as a spectator, trying to find the boss.”

“ _ Alone _ ? Are you insane? When his man doesn’t show up, he’ll be on alert. If he finds you..”

“He’ll be even more on alert if I bring a ton of people. He’ll be suspicious of any new faces, it’s best not to have too many.”

Ryusei scowled as Tsukasa’s voice came over the radio. “Andy, you’re needed in the brig.”

Andy headed down there, unsure what to expect.

The dragon met her outside the door leading to the cells. “Kenji hung himself. Arie says she left for a few minutes and when she got back..”

Andy looked thoughtful, “Let’s not revive him just yet. It’ll be better if we take care of the problem first.”

“What if it takes too long?” Tsukasa frowned.

Andy sighed, “Alright, I’ll do it then keep him sedated.” She entered the room slowly.

Arie was standing there crying and Andy put a comforting hand on her shoulder before looking over at Kenji. She gently moved the man, carrying him to the infirmary. Focusing her energy, gold light surrounded him. She waited until he started breathing, checked him over, then injected him with a sedative to keep him under. 

Tet entered with a scowl. “Why can’t we just nuke the island? I don’t like this idea.”

“Because, we might be able to save some of the shifters there.”

He sighed heavily, eyes on Kenji. “He must have been terrified of going back..”

Andy nodded, “I can’t imagine being held as a fighting slave would be very enjoyable.

“At least it explains his medical records now. I never fully bought his explanation for all his scars.”

Andy sighed sadly as she looked at the Frenchman. “Alright. I’m going to get ready to go. Keep eyes on him at all times. Sedate him again if he starts to wake so he can’t port. It shouldn’t take me that long, but if I’m not back in twelve hours, then send the team in.”

“Be damn careful, darlin. This guy scares me.” Tet kissed her forehead.

She nodded before heading out of the room. She went to change, grabbing her pistol and stashing it in a small purse before teleporting to the island. 

Fifteen guns aimed at her as she materialized.

An accented voice spoke from behind the men. “Looks like we have another contender for the fight tonight. Please help her rest.”

One man fired a dart gun at her.

She felt herself growing weaker by the second before she finally collapsed to the ground.

Matthew Etienne smirked as he stood over her sedated body. “This will be fun.”

Andy woke slowly, looking around and trying to figure out where she was.

“Sorry about the restraints. But I couldn’t afford to lose you.” Matthew was sipping champagne across from where Andy was shackled to a gurney.

“Why do you want me?”

“You’ll be a great draw at the fights. Plus I’m sure you have friends that will try to rescue you. I always need new stock.” He gave her a smirk. “Cyrus had been watching him for a while before letting him know I wanted him back. You and he looked pretty chummy.” Matthew took another drink. “Are you two together?”

“Not me. My twin.”

“Is she an animal too? Or will she just grace my bed after I have my revenge?”

Andy growled in response. She then focused on pathing to Tet, “ _ How much of my twelve hours do I have left?” _

_ “Thank god.. An hour, darlin. One hour before we hit with teeth and claws. By the way, Kenji ambushed Akasa. He’s probably already there somewhere.” _

Andy mentally cursed, “ _ He’s expecting you guys to come rescue me. Don’t you  _ **_dare_ ** _ walk into his trap.” _

_ “I’m not leaving you there!” _

_ “Just give me more time. I’ll figure a way out of this..”  _

_ “I’ll give you two hours. Then I’m coming in like one of the four horsemen.” _

_ “Don’t be an idiot, Tet.” _

_ “You can yell after I rescue you. Let me know when.” _

Matthew stood as the door opened and a man entered. He quickly whispered in Matthew’s ear. A slow contented smile spread over Etienne’s face. He whispered something back, then the man withdrew. The villain approached the bed, pulling a syringe. He injected Andy, then began to unbuckle the restraints. “Our revenge is ready. What do you say we watch in person?”

Andy nodded slowly. 

“Good. Come along.” He helped her stand, leading her out to a dais set up in a large auditorium.

She looked around quietly, trying to take in all the details of what was around her.

One side was covered in rich people making bets. Across from where they were seated, a long hallway led to a large dirt floored arena. There was a huge wolf man chained to the far wall. He howled in rage as several guards led a battered Kenji into view.

_ “You’re an idiot, Kenji.”  _ She pathed to him.

He briefly raised his head, an apology in his eyes. He took a deep breath as he was chained to a stake a few feet away from the wolfman. He stared defiantly at Matthew who laughed.

“So what happens next?” Andy asked quietly.

“My champion is going to rip him apart. Then we’ll have our regularly scheduled fight. After that,” He caressed her shoulders. “We’ll get to know each other better. If you’re good, you’ll stay with me. If not, I’m sure there’s a spot in our ‘guest’ cabins.” His eyes were lustful.

She nodded silently, looking back out at the arena.

He gave a nod to the guards. Two went and unshackled the wolfman, then ran out of the way.

The shifter charged toward Kenji, who gritted his teeth. The man slashed at the Frenchman, howling as his claws connected.

Blood began flowing from several slashes in Kenji’s abdomen. The shifter struggled to remain silent so as not to give Matthew any more pleasure. Another slash, this time diagonal on his chest made him finally let out a cry.

Andy winced, trying to stay calm.

A few more slashes and the Frenchman was sagging against the chains. Blood covered him, pooling beneath the stake as he struggled to breathe.

Matthew stood with a smile. “Place your bets! How long before this animal bleeds out?” He nodded to the guards who quickly restrained the wolfman again.

Kenji’s eyes were unfocused, his body trembling as it began to shut down.  _ “I’m sorry.. You have to escape.. Forget about me..” _ He pathed to Andy sadly.

_ “We just wanted to keep you safe.. I wish you’d let us.” _

_ “Too late now..” _ He slumped unconscious against the stake, held up only by the chains.

Matthew smiled coldly and turned to her. “On second thought, let’s skip the fight and go back to my room.” He took her hand and began to lead her back.

She followed slowly, trying to come up with a plan. She could just kill him now, but how would she get to Kenji without being attacked by guards?

Matthew was speaking rapidly to the guards. “Fight’s canceled. Send everyone to their rooms. Reschedule it for tomorrow night. I’ll be occupied and wish to be undisturbed.”

She could kill him once they get to his room, then sneak out to Kenji... She continued to try to think. 

The guards dispersed as Matthew opened the door to his room. He led her in, closing the door. Then he began to pull her clothes off, his eyes bright. He paused, pulling out another syringe. “I prefer a little more fight honestly..”

“Sorry,” Andy said quietly, unsure what she should be doing. She was disgusted by the man and just wanted to kill him, but she wasn’t sure if he was armed with anything. She decided to lunge at him, trying to get a bite.

“That’s more like it!” He laughed, dropping the syringe and dodging.

A sudden explosion rocked the building.

Matthew scowled, heading toward the door as more explosions were heard.

Andy moved quickly to bite into his arm when he was turned away.

He yelled, turning back to her as he raised his other hand.

She refused to let go, starting to suck the blood from him.

He tried to fight, but was rapidly weakening. Finally, his eyes glazed over and he fell limp.

Andy quickly fixed her clothes before heading out of the room. She ran toward where she had last seen Kenji.

He was still in the arena. Blood still sluggishly pulsed into the pool beneath his feet, his breaths almost invisible. He was unresponsive, his heartbeat slow and erratic.

Andy quickly grabbed onto him and teleported him to the infirmary. She pathed to Tet,  _ “Got Kenji. In the infirmary now,” _ before setting up for a transfusion. She started muttering healing spells while working on stitching up the large slashes. 

A few moments later, Tet was by her side. He gasped as he saw Kenji. “Is he even alive?”

“Barely,” she answered between spells.

“I hope you got the asshole.”

“I did,” she nodded.

“Well, his little island is now ours. The team is mopping up the guards and freeing all the slaves as we speak.” The tiger sighed. “He better make it.”

She continued to work as quickly as possible, finally finishing closing up all the wounds. She added another transfusion bag and checked to make sure his vitals were steady. She then sat down, keeping a close eye on him.

An hour later, Tsukasa staggered in, Ryon and Hiroki behind him.

“You guys okay?” Andy looked up concerned.

“Boss challenged a wolf on steroids. We just tussled with a few guards who didn’t want to look for new jobs.” Ryon gave her a grin, then winced as he sat down.

Andy spent the next half hour bandaging them and reciting more healing spells.

Kiba slowly entered, his face stormy. “I wish I had killed that bastard.”

Andy looked up, “I wish I could kill him again.”

“I’m truly sorry for getting you involved.” Kenji’s voice was weak, his eyes barely open. “I should have dealt with him alone.”

“You know we’d have followed you anyway,” Andy said. “We’re friends, and we’re here to help each other.”

“I lied to all of you. You shouldn’t call me friend.” He blinked back tears as he stared up at the ceiling.

“We don’t care about that. We care about  _ you.” _

“How can you not care? I put everyone in danger, especially you!” He winced, one hand going to his abdomen as his voice raised.

“So what? We handled it and all came out alright.” 

The Frenchman sighed, closing his eyes in defeat.

Arie entered and went over to him, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

He reopened his eyes, gazing at her. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, “It’s alright. As long as you’re okay now.”

He gave her a weak smile, then closed his eyes wearily.

She sat down next to him and gently took his hand.


	50. Chapter 50

Tet slowly walked into the infirmary, a large gold book in his hands. “Andy?”

She turned to look at him, her eyes narrowing at the book. 

“You might want to sit down.”

“Why..?” she said slowly, approaching him. She put her hand on the book, flinching away as she recognized the magic protections on it. “Where did you find this?”

“In the last base he was using when you killed him. There’s something you need to see.” He opened the book’s cover to reveal a photograph.

Andy looked it over, gasping as she recognized the men in the picture.

“We identified Seltain and Jun, but we have no clue who the third man is. Do you?”

She nodded slowly, taking a step backward. “I don’t understand..” 

Tet frowned. “Darlin? Is he a threat we need to know about?”

“Not at all,” Andy answered, voice still filled with confusion. 

Tet put the book down and gently pushed her into a chair. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know..” She closed her eyes before deciding to try to talk to her father. She focused on him, hoping to bring him to her.

Tet watched warily as a flickering form took shape.

“Daka?” The figure coalesced into a man.

“I don’t understand... Who was he to you?”

The figure froze. “You know…”

“He tried to kill me!” Andy cried. “What the hell?!”

“He was my father.” The man said simply.

Andy shook her head, “Why did you never tell me?”

“For the same reason we didn’t train you. We were afraid of what he would do. I broke contact when you twins were born. I was afraid he would try to use you. I tried to protect you both, especially after Arie’s accident. I even tried to stop him. I’m sorry.”

Andy shook her head, “I can’t.. You hid what I was. You hid my twin.. You hid this..”

The figure gazed at her sadly, then shimmered and disappeared.

Tet quickly leaned down and hugged her.

Tears started streaming down her face, small sobs escaping. 

Tet held her close, his mind racing. After a minute, he looked at her in realization. “Does that mean Jun knows?”

“If he does and hid it from me...”

“You can’t hurt him, darlin. You’ll just feel worse.”

“I need to get some air..” She moved to stand.

The tiger released her. “Don’t do anything stupid.  _ Please. _ ”

She nodded slowly, “I’ll try.” She then disappeared out of the infirmary and left the base, heading into the forest. She shifted and flew up into a tree, looking out at the sky.

Tet sighed, then left the infirmary. He had a mission briefing and couldn’t afford to be worried about her.

Andy stayed outside for hours, not even caring when the sky started to turn dark.

“ANDY!? Are you out here?” Kei’s voice rang through the trees.

_ “Go away. I don’t want to talk right now.” _

_ “I would if you wouldn’t kill me later. Tet’s been captured.” _

Andy flew down in front of him before shifting back into her human form. “Where is he?”

“Darvestan.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll go find him.”

“You need backup?”

Andy took a deep breath, “Probably.. I’m not in the best mood, so keep me on mission.”

“Jun was going to leave without waiting for you, but I convinced him to wait.”

“Keep me from killing him.” She started off toward the base.

“Andy? What do you mean? Did he do something?” Kei ran to keep up.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m going to find out.”

“That doesn’t sound good. You should calm down.” Kei advised.

“How can I calm down?! Every time I turn around something else is happening or I’m finding out more things were hidden from me!” 

“I don’t understand, but I know Boss will bench you if you can’t stay calm.” Kei got in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. 

She pulled away from him, “I’m calm.”

“Could have fooled me.” He looked up as Jun approached.

“Are you coming?” The necromancer asked quietly.

“Answer me something before we go,” Andy looked at Jun.

“Alright?” He said slowly, his face confused.

“Do you remember having a brother?”

“Yes...though I never saw him after I turned fifteen.. Why?”

She took a deep breath and shook her head, “Let’s go get Tet.”

He stared at her for a minute, then realization dawned. “Oh my god.. You’re Stephen’s daughter, aren’t you?”

Andy looked away, “We have a mission to get to.”

Jun shook his head. “I’ll stay here.”

“Fine.” She answered before saying the teleportation spell to get to Tet.

He was alone, bound to a hook in a prison cell. He bore the marks of severe and repeated beatings, bruises and cuts adorning his shirtless torso. He was unconscious, his face bruised and bleeding.

Andy got him down quickly, teleporting him to the infirmary. She got him into a bed and started reciting healing spells.

Kei entered, his eyes locked on her. “Is he alive?”

“Yeah, he’s still alive,” she nodded before reciting more spells.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Unh huh. Sure you are.” His tone was unimpressed, but he let the matter drop. “Jun is missing.”

Andy sighed, “I’m sure he’s probably fine.”

“He left this in his room.” Kei produced an envelope. “It’s addressed to you.”

The earth witch laid it on an empty bed and walked out.

Andy sighed again and finished up with Tet before opening the envelope.

Inside was a note.

_ Andy _

_ I’m sorry. I know this must be an unbelievable shock. I honestly didn’t know who you were, but in retrospect, I should have recognized him in you. You have all of his great qualities and none of his negatives. I’m not worthy to be related to such an amazing person. I hope you always stay that way. Don’t let this world change you. I’ve been honored to fight by your side and even happier I saved you that day on the cliff. Take care of everyone, especially those two idiots in love with you. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too. I hope someday you can forgive me, but I won’t make you. I’m going somewhere I can’t hurt anyone. Be safe and know you’re the best niece I could have ever wanted. _

_ Goodbye. Jun. _

She threw the letter before heading out of the infirmary. She was trying to fight the tears that were threatening to spill. Her father hid more secrets from her than she could count, her grandfather tried to kill her more than once, and now her friend and uncle disappeared the second he found out they were related. She disappeared into the forest again, this time sitting on the cliff edge and staring out. Finally, the tears streaked her face as she sobbed.

The wind brought the sound of a voice performing a spell somewhere in the forest. It kept breaking and she realized the caster was crying. The voice stopped for a moment, then restarted slower, the words being carefully enunciated.

She tried to ignore it for a few moments before finally getting up and following the sound of the voice.

A cracking sound reached her ears at the same time she reached the person. As she watched, the man prepared to leap into the chasm that had opened in front of him.

“What are you doing?” She asked quietly.

“Going somewhere I can’t hurt anybody.” Jun’s voice was anguished. “You should leave.”

“Why do you think you’re going to hurt anyone?”

“I hurt you right? My head is so scrambled I couldn’t even recognize my own family. And you shouldn’t care anyway. You don’t want to be anywhere near me.” He lost his composure again, his voice dissolving into sobs.

“The only thing you are doing that’s hurting me, is trying to leave. As my friend, that hurts enough, but the fact that you’re leaving the moment you realize we’re related? It seems like you don’t want to be anywhere near  _ me.” _

“You don’t need reminders of  _ him _ . You rejected me the moment you found out. What is there to stay for?”

“You think I rejected you? And I can’t get away from him. He’s in my nightmares. He’s even in my blood. Even if you weren’t here, I’d have reminders.”

“You told Kei you were going to kill me.. Sounds like rejection to me. All I’m doing is beating you to it.” He began to walk toward the hole.

“I was upset because I thought you might have known and were hiding things from me. I don’t want people hiding things from me, I’ve had enough of that from my dad. Hell, even Seltain didn’t tell me we were related.” She sighed, “I don’t want you to go..”

He stopped and turned. His eyes were puffy and he was shaking. “You don’t hate me?”

“Not at all.”

He dropped to his knees, sobs shaking his frame. He covered his face with his hands. “I’m sorry..”

She moved to him and hugged him, “I need you. I can’t handle everything on my own.”

He nodded as he tried to regain control. “You’re all I have left.”

“We have Arie too,” she reminded. “But you get my problems a lot more than she does..”

He gave a little chuckle. “She has no clue. You think she’ll accept me?”

“I’m sure she’s going to be a bit confused, but yeah, she’ll accept you.”

“Even knowing about Seltain?” His eyes were worried.

“I’ve mentioned him before, but she really has no idea how terrible he was... I try to keep the majority of my traumas from her. She deserves to stay as innocent and carefree as possible.. But I know she won’t judge you based on what someone else did.”

He gave a slow nod, then muttered something under his breath.

The chasm closed up, disappearing as if it had never existed.

“Is Kei angry?”

“He seemed worried that you disappeared.”

“That’s a relief. I kind of hit him before I left..”

“Seriously?!” Andy answered before shaking her head. “Let’s get back to base, I need to check on Tet again.”

“You found him? Is he alright?” Jun shakily stood. He waited a minute before starting to walk.

“He was pretty beat up, but he should be fine now that I’ve healed him up.” 

“That’s good.” He stumbled wearily, barely managing to stay upright. “I wish spells came with warning labels. I feel like I could sleep for a month.”

She wrapped her arm around him, “You can go to sleep once we get you back.” She took a deep breath, “The whole reason we found out about Seltain is a picture and his book of shadows. If you want it.”

“You should burn the book. It’s dangerous. I’d like to see the picture.” Jun looked at her with concern. “Promise me you won’t use any of his spells.”

Andy shrugged, “He’s the only person who ever taught me, other than what I learned from my parents books. Most of the spells I learned are ones of his.”

Jun stopped walking. “No doubt he taught you the simple ones. The majority of his spells take life force to work. He used innocents as sacrifices.”

Andy sighed and nodded, “I think I’ll read through his book before I destroy it. Just in case there  _ is  _ something useful in there.” She shivered as memories of her time with him appeared in her mind.

“He’s dead and gone. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Jun touched her arm gently.

She nodded slowly. “Was he always so evil?”

“I don’t think so. I vaguely remember my grandmother saying some incident had twisted him, made him desire power more and more. Something involving vampires.” He shrugged. “She never elaborated.”

“Do you think I’ll ever be like him? Pushed too far and twisted into a monster?” She looked down.

“Everyone has their breaking point..” He answered slowly. “But no, I don’t believe you could ever be like him.”

Tet suddenly appeared in front of them. He looked at Jun in confusion. “Are you alright?”

Andy gave Tet a nod, “You okay?”

He gave her a smile. “Yeah. Feel like an idiot for getting caught. And was really surprised to wake up in the infirmary.”

“I went and saved you,” she said quietly.

“My white knight.” He wrapped an arm around Jun as he began to sag. “You sure he’s okay?” 

“He needs rest,” Andy answered.

“Let’s get him to his room then.” Tet started toward the looming buildings. He navigated the corridor and nudged the necromancer’s door open, laying him on the bed. He looked at Andy. “He’ll be fine here right? Or should he be in the infirmary?”

“He should be alright. I’ll come check on him again later,” Andy answered.

“Okay. I should probably report to Boss.” He gave her a quick kiss, then headed toward the office.

Kei approached slowly. “You found the stupid ass, I see.” He gently touched his lip.

“Yeah.. Sorry he hit you.”

“I shouldn’t have cornered him. I could see he was freaking out. Lucky he didn’t zap me.” He looked at her face. “He tried something stupid and wore himself out, didn’t he?”

Andy nodded, “It’s kind of my fault..” 

“I doubt that. He’s just a natural idiot.” Kei grinned at her. “By the way, Arie is in your office.”

Andy sighed, “Alright..”

He kissed her cheek, then turned and disappeared down the hall.

Andy headed back toward the infirmary, figuring out how she was going to explain everything to her twin. 


	51. Chapter 51

Andy sat at her desk, Seltain’s golden book of shadows open in front of her. She was taking some notes from it for any spells that looked useful to her. She paused when she turned the page and found what looked to be a journal entry. She slowly started reading, taking in the information about the family she never knew. 

She read for hours, finding more and more journal entries as she went on. As she read though, she could tell he was growing more and more power hungry as more happened to him. 

After a while, she went to find Jun to tell him about what she read.

He was working out, his breathing heavy. He reached for a towel as he saw her, sitting down. “What’s up?”

“Did you know his book of shadows was also a journal?” She asked quietly.

He shook his head. “No. I’m guessing you read something that gave you insight?”

“Apparently his whole family was slaughtered by vampires and he couldn’t bring them back. He also couldn’t bring back his wife when she was killed by a shifter,” Andy sighed.

He had lost color when she mentioned Seltain’s wife. He shakily reached for a water bottle, his face pale. “I remember that. He was enraged and we had to keep him from attacking the local shifters.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I understand why he would be mad, but I still don’t get why it changed him so much that he’d do what he did to us..” 

“Revenge and grief twisted him. That’s all I can think of. He always had a mean streak.” Jun was regaining his composure, his hands calming.

Andy sighed, “His book has a lot of interesting spells though.”

“I wouldn’t advise using any. Like I said, he was into using sacrifices. His favorite method was stealing life force without telling the person.” Jun shuddered, remembering.

“You know I wouldn’t do that.”

He gave a smile. “I know. You’re nothing like him.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “He’d probably hate me even more now that I’m a vamp and shifter.”

“No doubt.” Jun stood and headed for the door. “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

She nodded and headed back to the infirmary, continuing to take notes on the spells in the book.

Kiba came stumbling in, one hand clenched tight to his upper arm. “Help..” Blood coursed around his fingers as he fell to the floor semi conscious.

Andy moved to him quickly and started reciting healing spells as she moved him to a bed. “What happened?” She asked softly.

“Witch. We were supposed to keep an eye on found out. He’s got Tet..” The wolf lost consciousness as Andy saw several more injuries.

She worked on healing them up before figuring out a plan to get Tet back.

Tet snarled as the witch approached again. He’d been bound after his capture, opening his eyes to find himself inside a ritual design on the floor of an abandoned warehouse. The witch had muttered something and now he couldn’t move. The witch grinned, then began to mutter again. 

The shifter screamed as he felt pain explode in his chest. His energy began to disappear, leaving him limp on the floor, unable to resist as the witch approached with a large knife. He gave a weak growl as the witch quickly slashed one arm, collecting the blood in a cup.

The witch moved away, leaving Tet to bleed as he moved to an altar and began chanting. The noise faded as Tet’s eyes started to close.

Andy left the infirmary, going to grab some weapons.

Jun entered behind her, his eyes concerned. “What’s wrong? Don’t say nothing either, I can feel your emotions going crazy.”

“Tet’s been captured again. This time by a witch,” she answered.

“You need backup?” Jun watched her. 

She shrugged, “If you want.”

“Let’s find him.” Jun waited for her to get ready.

Andy finished quickly and nodded to him. She grabbed onto his shoulder before focusing on Tet and teleporting them to his location.

“Who are you? You’re interrupting!” The witch shot a freeze spell at the duo as they appeared.

Jun snarled and shot back another spell. “Andy! Get Tet!”

Andy rushed forward and grabbed him, teleporting him out to the infirmary before returning for Jun.

The necromancer stumbled toward her, blue energy escaping from a hole in his chest. The other witch lay still, his eyes staring into nothing.

“An..dy...sorry.” Jun looked at her with pained eyes as he collapsed into her arms.

Andy teleported him to the infirmary, saying healing spells to try to save him. After a few minutes, she realized it wasn’t working. She went to the office and started looking through the books for ideas on how to help him. Finally, she remembered one in Seltain’s book.

She found the page and took the book out to him, starting to recite the lines. She felt her energy draining as she used it but continued on, trying to save him.

Jun’s eyes shot open as he recognized the spell. “Andy, stop! Don’t you dare keep reciting! You have to save Tet!”

She ignored him, finishing the spell. Only when she was done did she move over to Tet and start working on him. She focused some of her revival energy into him, silver light glowing as she did.

His weak breathing strengthened, the deep slash knitting together. He lay quiet as the power faded.

Jun lay on the other bed seething. She’d promised him! And yet, she’d done it anyway. He tried to control his anger.

Andy stepped away from Tet slowly, avoiding looking back at Jun. She managed to stay upright until she was in her office, then collapsed into her chair. She laid her head back, closing her eyes for a few moments to rest.

After ten minutes, Jun pushed himself off the bed and headed for the door. He went straight for his room, managing to hold his rage in until the door shut behind him. Then he released several bolts of blue energy into the floor, leaving a burn mark on the carpet. Was all his family cursed to repeat Seltain’s mistakes? If his brother hadn’t died when he did, would Jun have had to stop him? He fervently hoped Andy wouldn’t become seduced with power. He collapsed on the bed, weakened from his outburst so soon after being injured.

Andy woke, finding she had fallen asleep in her chair. She pushed herself up, still feeling weak from using Seltain’s spell. She went back out and noticed Jun was gone. She let out a sigh before checking Tet over again. She sat in the chair next to him and watched him as her mind blanked out. 

Tet stirred, giving a low moan. His eyes flickered open, but were only half focused. “Andy?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” she said softly.

“Did the witch get you too? You don’t look good.” He struggled to sit up.

She sighed, “No, he got Jun though. I had to do a spell to save him and it wore me out. Now I think he’s mad at me.”

“Damn.” Tet’s eyes were clearing. “I feel like I was turned inside out and used as lunch for vamps.” He tried to stand, swaying weakly.

“Lay back down. You need to rest more.”

“Gotta report to Boss. That witch was one of Seltain’s followers and I don’t know what spell they were casting. We might be in trouble if he wasn’t the only one. How’s Kiba?”

“He’s alright. I healed most of his injuries.”

“Good..” Tet leaned heavily on the bed, his eyes only half open.

She stood and wrapped an arm around him, “I’ll help you get to the office.”

He gave a slow nod, then attempted to walk. His knees buckled, almost sending them to the floor.

Andy struggled to keep him upright, “Maybe we should call Tsukasa down here instead?”

Tet closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart. Finally he answered. “Might be a good idea. Don’t think I’m going anywhere.”

Andy helped him get back into bed before using the radio to call Tsukasa.

The dragon arrived several minutes later, slowing as he got a good look at the two of them. “What happened?”

Tet took a deep breath. “The witch discovered us. Kiba was hurt, I was captured. He tried to do some sort of spell using darlin’s picture and my blood. I have no idea if he succeeded. I don’t know if he’s still operational because I passed out.”

Tsukasa glanced at Andy. “I take it you rescued him? Did you get the witch?”

“Jun and I rescued him. Jun killed the witch while I brought Tet to the infirmary.”

“Where is Jun? I wanted to ask his advice on handling these witches. This is the fifth in the last month that have come out of the woodwork.” The dragon scowled.

“I don’t know. Try his room. I think he’s mad at me so he disappeared a while ago.”

Tsukasa touched his radio. “Yoshi, find Jun. Tell him I want to see him.” He replaced it on his belt as Yoshi acknowledged, then motioned Andy away from Tet.

“What’s up?” Andy asked quietly.

“Are you sure the two of you are okay? A spell using your image and his blood can’t be good.”

“I hadn’t known about my image until now.. I don’t know. If they’re Seltain’s followers they are probably mad at me,” she sighed.

Tsukasa’s radio beeped. “Boss, Andy needs to get down here pronto. Jun is..” Yoshi struggled for words. “He’s coming apart is the only way I can describe it.”

Andy shook her head before rushing down to Jun’s room. She entered quickly and took a look at him to analyze the situation.

He lay on the bed, blue strands of energy covering both him and it like a spider’s web. As she watched, another strand emerged from where he’d been injured, snaking its way down toward the floor. Power coursed through it, making it glow brightly. Jun was still breathing, although it was irregular. His eyes were open and panicked, his hands gripping the blanket desperately. He locked eyes with her and tried to speak, but only managed a weak cry as another strand pushed its way out.

Andy muttered a few spells to try to help before pushing some of her revival energy into him. After that didn’t work, she quickly muttered out Seltain’s spell again, pushing through the weakness she was feeling.

The strands flared brightly, then withered into dust around the other necromancer. His eyes glared at her before slipping shut as he lost consciousness.

Andy checked him over before starting to head back to the infirmary, using the wall to keep herself upright.

Yoshi wrapped an arm around her, helping her walk. “What the hell was happening in there?”

She shook her head, “Effects from what the witch did to him, I think.”

“Damn. Give me a shifter or vamp any day. Everything is straightforward. They just eat you.” Yoshi helped her into a chair as they arrived at the infirmary.

Tet lay unconscious, Akasa worriedly checking his blood pressure. The nurse gave her a look as he moved toward her. “You look bad.”

“I know, I know,” she shook her head.

Yoshi excused himself as Akasa examined her. “Your blood pressure is seriously low just like Tet’s. Your energy level is better than his, but neither one of you should be moving for the foreseeable future.”

Andy nodded and stood, moving herself onto a bed. “I used a spell twice today to save Jun.. it used life force energy though.” 

“What happened to Tet then? Because he’s showing the exact same symptoms.”

“A witch tried to use him for a spell.”

“Gotta love this line of work.” Akasa remarked sarcastically as he drew the blanket over her. “Try to rest.”

She nodded and soon fell fast asleep. After a while, she started having nightmares of Seltain.

Jun opened his eyes to find himself beside Andy, bound and placed inside a ritual enclosure. He shook his head, pulling at the bonds. “This isn’t real..” 

Andy fought against the ties, trying not to panic.

Seltain appeared, a maniacal smile on his lips. “At last! My rebirth is near.”

Jun paled as he stopped. “No..that spell was for that? You bastard!” He yanked on the bonds angrily as he pushed himself onto his knees.

Seltain’s eyes went icy and he muttered a spell.

Jun screamed as he felt the power rip through him. He toppled over, writhing as the power dug its way into his chest.

“You are a disgrace to the family, just like your brother. So you’ll share the same fate while I use Andaka to return to the living world.”

“We won’t..let you!” Jun managed to choke out. “She defeated you once. She’ll do it again.”

Seltain laughed, his eyes glinting. “Her soul will soon be too weak to fight me. You’ve lost. Now die like a good boy.” He shot a bolt of energy at the weakened necromancer.

Jun tried to dodge, but he was too weak. The bolt slammed into him and he screamed again, then went limp.

Andy was struggling to breathe as she watched what was happening. She tried to move, raising her bound hands to check Jun over. She tried to push energy into him to help him.

Seltain watched her with a smirk. “You should save your strength. If he isn’t dead yet, he soon will be. Pity that he had to die the same way your father did, but sacrifices must be made. You will understand after I possess you.”

Andy growled, “I’ll never understand why you want to kill your own family.” 

Seltain exploded. “Your father and he refused to help me revive your grandmother! Did you know that? They said it was messing with fate, that it shouldn’t be done. They had their chance to be family and they refused.”

“And what about me? Why did you never tell me we were related? Maybe I wouldn’t have done what I did..”

“I wanted you to stay with me of your own free will, not any perceived familial obligation. If you had known, then you would have asked about your parents.” Seltain knelt in front of her, touching her cheek gently. “Nobody should have questioned their deaths. But that damned dragon couldn’t leave it alone.. So I was forced to try to capture you.”

“Dragon..? You mean Tsukasa?”

Seltain’s face morphed into a snarl of rage. “ ** _He_** started all this. I think I’ll kill him first when I am reborn.” He laughed darkly. “Yes..he will die in agony, then the rest of them.” He looked at Andy. “I think I’ll save your two bed buddies for last. Let you be fully conscious as I rip them apart. You’ll be helpless to save them, then I’ll snuff you out when you fall into despair.”

“You’re worse than the people that killed your family,” Andy spat.

His eyes went red and he shot a bolt of power at her. “SHUT UP! You understand nothing!”

“I understand you’re angry, but you’ve become worse than they ever were.” She stared at him in defiance after she got ahold of her breathing. 

He opened his mouth to answer her, but suddenly convulsed as a bright green spear of energy pierced his stomach. He began to scream as he caught fire. The necromancer vaporized, his scream of defiance lingering in the air.

The ritual enclosure vanished as Kei raced to her side and tore the ties from her hands. “Are you alright?”

She took a deep breath and gave a small nod before looking back at Jun. She moved to his side and undid the ties before checking him over.

He was unresponsive, charred skin marking where the power had tunneled into his body. His breathing was almost non existent, his skin almost white.

Kei glanced him over sadly. “I don’t think you can do anything.”

Andy shook her head and pushed revival energy into him. She still felt weak from the spells earlier, but she pushed the energy as fast as she could to try to heal him. 

Jun began to fade, his body becoming transparent. He showed no sign of regaining consciousness.

Kei grabbed her hands. “You have to wake up. This is a dream state. If you die here, you die out in the real world. Wake up Andy!”

“I have to help him,” tears were starting to stream down her face.

“You can’t help anyone if you disappear. Look around.” Kei pointed to their surroundings as everything began to become transparent.

Andy sobbed, “I’m not leaving until he’s okay.”

Kei shook his head and vanished.

“Andy..go. Leave me..” Jun’s eyes were dull, his voice almost inaudible.

“I’m not leaving you..” she answered as she tried to push more energy into him. “You need to wake up too.”

“Even if I do..he did too much damage. He finally got what he wanted. When mother died, he told us we all should have gone with her.” He coughed wetly, blood trickling from his lips.

Andy continued to push energy into him before she started on a healing spell. The spell was one she created, and it used life force energy. She knew she was pretty weak already but she refused to let him die. She finished the spell, her form beginning to get transparent.

“Andy! Darlin wake up! _Please.._ ” Tet’s voice rang in her ears as Jun closed his eyes and vanished.

Andy closed her eyes and struggled to reopen them. When she finally did, Tet was staring down at her. 

“ _Thank god.._ ” The tiger embraced her, tears streaking his face. “You have to stop scaring me like this.”

She blinked slowly, eyes struggling to keep focused. She let out a quiet, “sorry,” before passing out again.

She struggled to regain consciousness, finally opening her eyes again and slowly looking at her surroundings.

Tet was asleep in a chair beside her. Kiba was nowhere to be seen. She could hear machines somewhere, but couldn’t see from her bed.

Akasa appeared, smiling gently. “Welcome back. How are you feeling?”

She nodded slowly, “Okay I think..”

He softly chuckled, then checked her eyes with his penlight. “Eyes are reacting normally again. That’s a good sign. You gave all of us a real scare.”

“How’s Jun?”

His smile disappeared and he avoided answering, fiddling with her IV and blankets.

“Please tell me, Akasa,” she begged quietly.

“He’s on life support. But the prognosis..” He shook his head. “It’s like he just gave up.” He glanced away, looking at something she couldn’t see. “Kei tried to help, but he weakened pretty fast. I made him go to his room to rest.”

She nodded, “Where is Jun?”

“In the isolation room. He was letting off bursts of power, so I figured it would be safer for everyone.”

Andy pushed herself up out of bed, struggling to stand.

Akasa sighed, moving a wheelchair behind her. “I won’t even argue. Just sit.”

Andy sat down in the chair slowly. 

He pushed her into the isolation room, then locked the brakes. “It seems like whatever happened infiltrated his whole body. He’s suffering internal burns similar to cauterization. His heart is badly burned, one valve beyond repair. If he makes it another hour, I’ll be amazed.”

Andy nodded slowly as she watched Jun. She closed her eyes and worked on using revival energy to heal him. Silver light surrounded him as she tried to get his body back to normal.

The machines began to speed up, his heart rate increasing slowly. His color began to return and his blood pressure began rising.

Akasa remained silent as the light faded, just examining Jun after and unhooking the ventilator. “You need to rest now.”


	52. Chapter 52

“Andy, please report to Boss’ office.” Yoshi’s voice came over the radio.

Andy got up from her desk chair and headed down to the office, opening the door slowly, “What’s up?”

Tsukasa looked somber. “Come in and sit down. I need to tell you something.”

Andy frowned but did as instructed.

“The General called me this morning. The higher ups have issued a presumed dead judgement on Tet. Kiba’s been named as the new squad leader. Tet’s life insurance had you listed as beneficiary, so in a few weeks you’ll get a check. I wanted to let you know privately before announcing it.” He gave her a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry.”

“Where is he? What happened?” Andy tried to grasp what was happening.

“Six months ago he went undercover in a country bordering Darvestan. He vanished several days later and there has been no contact. It’s safe to assume something happened, but we can’t ask because of the fact that Crispin already tried to kidnap you once.”

Andy shook her head, “He’s been missing for almost six months and no one cared to mention it until now?!”

“I was the only one who knew. The squad just knows he’s on a black assignment.” Tsukasa sighed heavily. “I couldn’t tell you.”

Andy kept shaking her head before standing up and leaving his office. She headed into the hall, trying to figure everything out. If there was a body, there was a good chance she could revive it. Couldn’t Tsukasa have just sent her to retrieve him? She looked around quickly. There was nothing stopping her from looking now, was there..? With her teleportation spell, she should be able to find him even if he’s dead.. 

Kiba gave her a confused look as he passed her, but didn’t stop as he entered the office. The door closed behind him.

Andy headed to their room and started pacing, wondering if she was being crazy and trying to chase any glimmer of hope. She didn’t know whether to accept what Tsukasa said or if she should be crazy and chase that hope.

The comm system came to life, Tsukasa’s voice heavy with grief. “Attention! It is my sad duty to report Tet has been killed in action. A memorial service will take place in the next few days. Kadoya out.”

Andy growled. She’d been held hostage shorter than that by Branch. Unless they had proof of his death, he could very well be alive. She prepared herself to go searching.

Tet woke slowly, his brain slow to respond. He was still restrained, the straitjacket tight around his torso. He blinked groggily as he tried to remember where he was. His mind refused to give up the information and he sighed. He tried to recall Andy’s face, kicking against the wall when the image refused to appear.

The door to his cell opened and he turned to face his captors.

“Are you ready to talk, inmate 29105? Or do you need help?” The woman held up a syringe as two burly guards grabbed a hold of him.

He struggled but couldn’t keep the liquid from being injected. As his mind became foggier, the woman told the guards to set him up in the interrogation room. The world went dark as he was dragged into the hall.

Andy closed her eyes for a moment before saying the spell to teleport to Tet. She found herself in a small room and finally spotted Tet. 

He was bound to a chair, one arm exposed to allow a IV drip of a green liquid. A woman yelled at two guards to grab Andy. She pulled a knife, lifting it to Tet’s throat as she moved behind the chair.

“Give yourself up or I slit his throat.”

Andy nodded slowly.

She gave a triumphant grin, then nodded to the guards to grab her. She replaced the knife into her belt, then returned to speaking to Tet.

“Just tell us where your base is so we can take you home. You must have family waiting for your return.”

Tet’s eyes opened and he got a goofy smile. “Darlin.. She’s waiting so we can go to the beach..”

The lady nodded quickly. “We want to take you to her, but we need a location. Just give us the location.”

Tet stared at the woman groggily. “Darlin can find me anywhere. She doesn’t need your help.”

The woman snarled and adjusted the IV’s flow, then turned to Andy. “Maybe you can convince him.” She pulled a full syringe of the same green fluid and approached.

Andy quickly recited a killing spell aimed at the woman and the guards.

All three went down in a matter of seconds.

Andy went to Tet and undid the IV and jacket before grabbing onto his arm and teleporting them out of there and into the infirmary. She moved him into a bed and gave him a soft smile. “Hey.” 

“This is a nice dream..” Tet’s voice was shaky, his eyes unfocused. “They can’t take you away here…”

“This isn’t a dream, Tet. You’re just drugged up right now. Go to sleep and everything will be better when you wake up.”

He shook his head. “They’ll take you away again. Stay with me please. Don’t leave. They’ll make it hurt and you’ll go away and I can’t stand it!” He clung to her desperately.

“Shh, it’s alright. I’m not going anywhere.” She ran a hand through his hair.

He began to tremble, the drug making his heart rate rise. “Why haven’t you found me? I’ve been waiting but you haven’t come….”

Tears filled her eyes, “I didn’t know you were missing. You know I’d have found you sooner if I could have.”

“You promised you would always find me…” His voice trailed off as his eyes closed.

“I know. And I found you as soon as I could,” she said softly before kissing his forehead.

Tsukasa entered the infirmary and froze. “Andy?”

“Does he look dead to you?” Andy glanced over at him.

“Thank god.” The dragon slumped into a chair. “I didn’t want to believe it..”

“He was wondering why I didn’t save him sooner..” Andy sighed. “Next time he goes missing, tell me sooner so I can save him. He’s been getting drugged and they were trying to get info from him.”

“I’m sorry. Next time the higher ups can fuck off.” He slowly rose and went to Tet’s side. “He looks half dead honestly. Have you done an exam yet?”

She shook her head, “No, not yet.”

“Better do one before something happens. He’s been gone six months, in my experience drugs are  _ not _ the first things they try.” He shook his head at her look. “Trust me, you don’t want to hear that story.”

Andy nodded before looking Tet over. 

Broken ribs healing wrong, bruised kidneys, a gunshot wound to the upper arm beginning to turn septic. A massive amount of sedatives and hypnotics in his bloodstream.

Andy started cleaning up what she could before working on healing spells to fix the rest. She gave him a medicine to counteract the sedatives.

Tsukasa sat and watched quietly, only moving to cover a yawn.

When she was done, she sat beside Tet, staring at him sleeping.

“He won’t hold it against you, you know. Now me, on the other hand, I expect him to punch me. And I deserve it.” The dragon said quietly, staring at his hands.

“You were just doing as ordered,” she said quietly.

“That’s just it! When do I ever just follow orders when someone’s missing? I went off on the General in a shorter period when you and Arie were missing. So why the fuck did I just let them gag me this time?”

Andy shook her head, “It’s alright.” 

“No, it’s not.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe I should take the retirement offer..you guys might do better with someone new.”

“We don’t want someone new. We want you,” Andy answered. 

“I almost got him killed! How can you want me?” His breathing became rapid as he clenched his fists. “How many times can I screw up before someone dies for good?”

Andy took a deep breath, “No one is going to make the right decision every time. But we trust you.”

He raised bloodshot eyes to her. “What if I don’t trust myself?”

Andy sighed, “You have a whole team behind you, who believes in you.”

He gave her a wan smile, then he stood slowly. “I don’t know if that’s enough anymore.” He stumbled out of the infirmary, his head hanging.

Andy sighed, looking back at Tet. 

Kiba grimaced as he came in. “Boss looks like shit. Can you help me?”

“What’s up?” She asked softly.

“Afraid to sleep. I don’t want this damn promotion.. I can’t believe it finally happened. Someone got the better of him and now he’s gone and there’s this deep aching hole..” The words spilled out as he stared at the floor.

“I found him,” she said softly. “He’s okay.”

He raised his eyes to hers in disbelief. “What?”

“I found Tet. He’s alive.”

“Really?” The wolf finally looked around, his eyes landing on the sleeping man. “Oh my god..” Kiba grabbed Andy in a tight hug, his body shaking with relief.

Andy hugged him back tightly, “He’s been held captive for months..”

“Is he really okay or are you just hopeful?” Kiba’s dark eyes were troubled.

“He  _ should  _ be okay. Just waiting for all the drugs to work their way out of his body.”

Kiba nodded, kissing her then letting go. “Maybe I’ll be able to sleep now. Later.” He left the infirmary.

Seconds later, Tet was staring at her. “Darlin? Is this real?”

“Yeah, this is real,” she smiled as she went over to him.

“I thought I’d never see you again. My head hurt so much and I was so close to giving in..” He hugged her as tight as he could manage.

She held him close and kissed the top of his head, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner. I would if I had known.”

He gave her a confused look. “You didn’t know?”

She shook her head, “I knew you were on a mission. The higher ups wanted Tsukasa to keep it secret basically. But you were pronounced dead, which is how I found out. And you know I needed proof for that, so I came and found you.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry you were stuck there so long.”

“I got caught like a rookie.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I made you worry.”

“It’s alright,” she said softly.

Her radio erupted. “ANDY! I NEED YOU!!” Daiki’s voice was near hysterical.

Andy looked at Tet a moment before rushing from the infirmary and heading down toward Tsukasa’s office.

The door was open, Daiki kneeling on the floor in a puddle of blood.

Andy cursed before looking for the source.

Tsukasa lay pale on the floor, both wrists slashed. A piece of paper with ‘Sorry’ lay bloodstained nearby along with a pocketknife. 

Daiki looked at her in panic. “He took something too. His cup smells weird.”

Andy nodded before lifting Tsukasa and carrying him to the infirmary. She set him gently on a bed before healing the wounds on his wrists. She tested what was left of his blood and injected him with some medicine before setting up a transfusion. After a while, she focused on him, gold light shining around him.

Daiki let out a shaky exhale as Tsukasa started breathing. He looked at her. “Why?”

She shook her head, “I know he was upset but I didn’t think it was that bad..”

“About what? Tet?” The vampire looked over at the dozing tiger. “What was he supposed to do, send the team after him?”

Andy shrugged, “He was talking about how he never listens to the higher ups, but this time he did and he doesn’t know why.”

Daiki frowned. “He  _ has _ been a lot more compliant ever since he came back from that Colonel’s retreat last year..” His eyes met Andy’s. “You don’t think..?”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “You think they did something to him?”

“This  _ is  _ the higher ups we’re talking about. Same ones who allowed Branch to do their fucked up shit.” Daiki’s voice was tight, one hand tightly clasping the dragon’s. “The one time I was allowed to talk to him during that week, he complained of a migraine that hadn’t cleared up since he got there..Since then, he’s become a stickler for regulations. He yelled at Ryon for his hair last week and hasn’t complained about paperwork  _ once _ .”

Andy frowned, “Yeah, there’s definitely something wrong.”

Daiki sighed. “I have to go clean the office. Tell me if we end up being right?”

Andy sighed and gave him a nod before going to grab her books from the office. She looked up everything she could think of related to what could have happened to him.

A crash from the recovery area made her look up.

“Andy? I could use some help!” Tet called out.

Andy went out and looked to see what the noise was about. 

Tet was restraining Tsukasa on the floor, his face grim.

Tsukasa’s eyes were wild, his hands scrabbling for the surgical tools from the overturned cart.

“He came to and tried to grab the scalpel, then the scissors. Was muttering something about not failing.”

Andy rushed to grab the tools before him, then grabbed his shoulders, “Tsukasa, we think they did something to you. You need to calm down so we can figure it out.”

“Can’t fail my superiors..” He muttered in a monotone before blinking. “Huh? What?” He stilled and stared at her blankly. “Why am I in here?”

“Tsukasa, something’s wrong with you,” she said softly. “Just sit down for now, okay?”

He nodded slowly, climbing into a bed, a puzzled expression on his face. He stared at his hands like he was seeing them for the first time.

Tet grabbed her arm, moving her away. “What the hell is going on?”

“We think he’s been brainwashed or something similar..” She sighed. “I’ve found a couple spells that should help.”

“That would explain it…” He shook his head, then explained. “When he gave me the mission, I expected him to give me one of the porters as backup. Standard on a mission like the one I was given. Instead he nearly ripped my head off and insisted I was to be alone.”

“And then they declared you dead and didn’t even try to search for you? Makes me wonder if they were  _ trying  _ to get you captured or killed..”

Tet paled at her statement. “Katshiro didn’t give the assignment. General Vargas did..”

Andy sighed, “We’ll have to have a talk with Vargas at some point then, won’t we?” She growled before moving back to Tsukasa. She recited a few different spells and watched to see how he reacted. 

He gasped at the last one, his hands going to his head. “What are you doing to me?”

Tet grimaced, “I think I know what’s going on.”

Andy looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“They brainwashed Boss to send me out without backup, knowing there was a high likelihood of capture or death. They  _ were _ hoping for death..” He looked at Andy. “Vargas is a vampire, high born in my mother’s clan. The area I was sent to is an enclave for them. They couldn’t get me naturally, so they tried to set me up. And used Boss to do it.”

Andy growled again, “I’m going to rip them to shreds.”

Tet nodded, then swayed. “Can I help?”

Tsukasa blinked and dropped his hands. “What the hell is going on? Why does Tet look like he got run over repeatedly?” He stabilized the semi conscious tiger from falling.

“Lay down for now, Tet,” she said gently. “I’ll try to come up with a plan, okay?” She got him into a bed before turning back to Tsukasa, “The higher ups brainwashed you, you sent Tet on a mission alone, he was gone for six months and you never told us he went missing, but it’s not your fault, it’s theirs. And I’m probably going to go on a killing spree,” she informed. 

“Tet almost got killed? Because of me?” Tsukasa’s face was horrified. He looked at the now horizontal tiger. “I’m so sorry..”

“It’s not your fault. Tet thinks the vampires planned it.”

Smoke erupted in a large plume. “ _ Bastards _ ..” The dragon hissed violently. “I’m going to stake a few fangs and probably end up in the brig.”

“He said a General Vargas assigned the order. Want to go take them out with me?”

“There may be repercussions.. Are you prepared for them?”

“Has the threat of repercussions ever stopped me before?”

“Tet’s dad was nothing compared to Vargas. This will probably result in us incarcerated and the squad disbanded. Vargas is one of the main movers behind the ‘we’re too much trouble’ group.” Tsukasa stood, his face serious.

Andy sighed, “Incarcerated I can handle, but I don’t want to get the squad disbanded. Where will they all go?”

“In our vampires’ cases, dead. In the shifter’s, probably back to their old units. The porters and Kei will go back to Branch.” Tsukasa refused to meet her eyes.

“As much as I want to kill Vargas, I can’t do something that will screw up so many people’s lives..”

“Let me do it. They’ll leave the rest of you alone. You have to protect everyone. Especially Jun.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Maybe we should wait.. If Vargas came after Tet once, it’ll likely happen again. We could make it look more like an accident or a vampire issue than a military thing.”

Tsukasa pursed his lips in thought, then nodded. “Alright. Just be careful. Vargas is smart, he used me to try to get Tet. He may switch plans if he thinks we’ve figured things out.” He rubbed his temples, then frowned. “You didn’t answer me. Why am I here in the first place? The last thing I remember is coming home from the retreat with a migraine and laying down.”

“Daiki said the retreat was last year... You’ve apparently missed a lot. But you got upset and slit your wrists.. That’s why you were in here.”

“ _ Last year _ ??” Tsukasa’s knees threatened to buckle. “I lost almost a year? And I slit my wrists?” His face drained of color and he began to shake. 

“It’s okay.. I know it’s a lot to take in. And I know how it feels to lose that much of your time..” 

He struggled to take a deep breath. “Who found me? They deserve a bonus.”

“After you slit your wrists? Daiki..”

This time, he did collapse. He began to hyperventilate, sobs tearing at his throat.

Andy wrapped her arms around him, “Take deep breaths. It’s going to be alright.”

He shook his head. “He must have been beside himself. I swore I’d never hurt him.”

“He knows something was wrong with you,” she said softly.

At that moment, the subject of their discussion entered. He raced to the dragon’s side, holding him tight before looking at Andy. “Was I right?”

She nodded, “They were messing with him to try to get Tet killed.”

Daiki’s fangs flashed as he snarled. “Who and where can I find them?”

Andy shook her head, “Tsukasa and I are working on it. This goes higher up and we don’t want them coming after the squad.”

Daiki slowly quieted. “If it’s a choice between Tsukasa and me, I’ll take whatever punishment. I won’t let them hurt him anymore.”

Andy nodded, “I know. We just don’t want our actions breaking the whole squad up. I don’t want them going back to Branch or worse. You know I’d be the first to go kill the bastard.”

Daiki chuckled. “And Branch won’t let them kill you cause you’re too valuable.”

Andy sighed and looked at Tsukasa before looking back at Daiki, “We should get him back in bed.”

Daiki hefted the dragon, then stopped as Tsukasa gave the vampire a sly smile. “Uh oh..”

Tsukasa chuckled. “Who wants to set a trap for Vargas?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Draft an email telling him we suspect someone high up wanted Tet dead. Drop a line that he was rescued but is in a coma. He’ll do the rest and we’ll catch him red handed when he comes to get Tet for “medical care and debrief”.”

Andy frowned, “I don’t see this going well, but if you think it’s the best option..”

Tsukasa winked at her. “Did you know each commander has the right to protect his troops against  _ any _ threat? Includes people in charge who try to kill members of a squad. That’s one reason Katshiro gave in to you when the incident with Tet’s dad happened. This way, I’ll probably receive a letter of misconduct but nothing more and the squad is safe.”

Andy nodded. “Alright.”

Daiki sighed. “Fine. If we’re going to commit suicide, might as well go all the way. I’ll write the email.”

He got Tsukasa settled, then disappeared.

Tet looked thoughtful. “Let me deal with Vargas. Can’t get in trouble for protecting myself.” He locked eyes with Tsukasa. “You better not  _ ever _ do that again or  _ I’ll _ kill you. This is  **not** your fault.”

Tsukasa dropped his eyes and remained silent, his hands tightening on the blanket.

“Why don’t you both just get some rest for now?” Andy said softly. 

Tet gave her a smile and closed his eyes as Tsukasa sighed. He laid down, his eyes staring at the ceiling.

Andy sat down between them, hoping that they could take out Vargas easily.

Fifteen minutes later, Daiki returned. His eyes watched both men, frowning at Tsukasa’s posture. “We may have to watch him..”

Andy nodded slowly, “Did Vargas respond yet?”

Daiki turned a fanged smile to her. “Oh yeah. He said he was coming to “give Kanamoto  _ proper _ medical treatment.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Yeah, not like you have a trained medical professional here.”

“I thought you’d enjoy that section. He’ll be here promptly, he said. Hope you’re ready.”

Andy nodded, giving a small smirk before going to fill up a couple syringes and hide them in her pockets. 

“I should get Boss out of here. If Vargas gets a hint that the brainwashing is broken, he may disappear.” Daiki gently prompted Tsukasa to lean on him before taking him out.

Andy went back to her seat, taking a deep breath as she waited. 

An hour later a tall muscular man stalked in, his eyes dismissing Andy and locking onto Tet. “I will be taking custody of Kanamoto now.” 

Andy sighed, giving Tet’s hand a squeeze before moving away from him.

Vargas began to test if Tet was conscious. When he was satisfied, he withdrew a straitjacket from the bag he was carrying. “I would appreciate it if you kept this transfer to yourself, Miss Takimoto. He’s been held for six months and must be taken care of properly.”

Andy nodded slowly, fists clenched in her pockets. 

He finished restraining the tiger, then removed a full syringe from his pocket and prepared it.

Andy’s eyes narrowed, wondering if she should just attack Vargas and get it over with.

He looked at her, his eyes locking on hers. His voice lowered seductively. “ **Come to me.** ”

She raised an eyebrow at him. 

His eyes darkened as he realized his mistake. He snarled, using his speed to go to her side. He slammed the needle into her arm and began pressing the plunger.

Andy tried to fight him off in a panic, clawing at him. Soon though, she felt her movements slowing until she finally stopped moving all together. 

He grinned, flashing fangs. “You’ll be our King’s first meal.” He moved back to Tet’s side and plunged his fangs into his neck.

_ “We definitely need help in here,”  _ Andy sent to Tsukasa as she struggled, trying to move her body with no results.

Seconds later both Kiba and Daiki raced in, matching snarls on their faces.

Vargas raised up and laughed, extending his hand and throwing both into a wall. He closed his fist and they began to choke as he returned to feeding. 

A few minutes later, both men lay still.

Vargas wiped his mouth as he stepped back and smiled at Andy ferally. “Nice try. But you can’t stop me.” He brought out a dagger, quickly slashing his wrist and forcing it to Tet’s mouth. “Drink, my King.”

Tet tried to fight, but Vargas held his nose and made him swallow. After a few minutes, the vampire drew back.

Andy stared forward, her face blank as inside she was furious and trying to fight to get to Tet. 

Tet screamed, his back arching in agony. He shook his head as tears streamed from his eyes. “I won’t! Darlin!” He thrashed wildly, then went still.

Vargas bowed as Tet’s eyes went red. “My King.”

Tet’s voice was low. “Hungry..”

Vargas nodded, going to Andy and yanking her to her feet. “Of course. I brought you food.”

He undid the straitjacket, then shoved her into his arms.

Tet flashed his fangs, his eyes staring at her with no recognition.

A few tears escaped her eyes as she slowly lost hope. Finally, she tried one last thing to try to help. She focused hard, silver light surrounding him, hoping it would help him somehow.

He began to dip his head toward her throat, then froze. His eyes flashed between brown and red, then an agonized “Darlin…” escaped his lips. He threw back his head and howled, then pushed her away and charged Vargas. The two men attacked each other, fangs sinking in.

Andy could only hear from her position, still unable to move, and continuing to pray that Tet would make it through this. 

There was a scream, then silence.

A minute later, Tet collapsed next to her. “Sorry, darlin. You’re safe now..” Blood pulsed from a vicious neck wound as he shakily reached for her hand.

She focused once again, covering him in the silver light, watching the neck wound slowly decrease in size. 

He gave her a soft smile before his head fell into her lap.

After a long while, she finally started gaining movement back. She ran a hand through his hair gently before moving to straighten him up in the bed. She checked him over, giving him a transfusion for the blood loss before going to check on Daiki and Kiba. She moved them onto beds before focusing, gold light shining around them.

“Vargas! Where is he?” Daiki shot up before coughing.

Andy pointed to the body on the floor. 

“You got him?” The vampire’s eyes narrowed.

She sighed and shook her head, “Tet did.”

“Is he-- did Vargas succeed?” Daiki shot a fearful glance at Tet.

“You mean, is he a vampire again? Yeah, seems like. I might be able to try to change him back again, but it’s not like it’s an easy process.”

“If Vargas succeeded, he’s full vampire now. There’s nothing you can do.” Daiki hung his head. “He’ll be forced to take the crown. The vampires were reluctant to really force the issue because he wasn’t pure. Now…”

“There has to be a way,” Andy argued. 

“You might be able to turn him human, but not shifter. Not unless you could get your hands on the fake vaccine. Tsukasa will be forced to remove him from the squad.”

Andy nodded, “I’ve stolen a bunch of information from Branch. I might have the list of what goes into the vaccine..” She looked thoughtful.

“Are you taking his feelings into account? His heritage always caused him pain. Maybe he’d prefer being human..”

Andy nodded again, “You’re right. I’ll talk to him when he wakes up.” She headed to her office to start looking through things. 

Two hours later, she heard a soft “Darlin?” from her doorway.

She looked up, “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Lucky. Are you alright?” He entered, wrapping his arms around her.

She nodded slowly, leaning into his arms. “What do you want to do now?”

He smiled, his head resting on her shoulder. “Eat. Shift for a while. I’ll feel better after I run. I wanted to thank you for keeping him from succeeding.”

“Did I? I felt so useless not being able to move..”

“Your light..it kept me from becoming fully reborn. Your seal killed the virus before I fed. I’m still me.” He kissed her deeply, his hands entangling in her hair.!

She kissed back hard, wrapping her arms around him.

“I don’t remember much. Just pain, then I saw you.” His eyes darkened. “I almost killed you.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Andy said softly.

He tightened his hold on her. “Doesn’t stop the guilt.”

She sighed, “I love you. And you’re okay. That’s what matters, right?”

He chuckled and kissed her again. “Want to grab lunch with me?”

She gave him a soft smile, “Sounds good.”


	53. Chapter 53

Andy drove into town, stopping at the clinic to check on everything. When she was done, she started toward the store, but soon found traffic was stopped completely. She sighed, turning up the music in her car and setting it in park. Soon though, she got the feeling that something was wrong. She turned to look around, not seeing anything. When she turned back around she saw something from the corner of her eye before she felt a dart hit her. She cursed, trying to pick up her phone and call Tet or Kiba. She finally got it to start ringing but was passed out before anyone could answer.

Tet answered his phone, frowning as he heard no reply. Looking at the caller id, his blood ran cold as he saw it was from Andy. “Darlin? Please answer me.” He growled as the line disconnected and ran for Boss’ office.

Andy woke, unsure if what she saw was real or her nightmares. Scientists stood over her, like they had the multiple times she’d been taken by Branch. She felt herself be injected with something before being knocked out once again.

When she awoke the next time, she was surprised to find the room empty and that she wasn’t restrained. She felt weak from whatever they drugged her with, but she managed to push herself up and make her way out of the room. She wandered down the halls looking for an exit, not seeing anyone. She finally spotted a person, but they weren’t dressed like the scientists. “...Hey?” She said quietly, wondering what was going on.

He turned wary eyes on her. “Who are you? Where is everyone? Are we being released?” 

“I’m Andy. I don’t know.. Branch never just releases people unless they have something planned...” 

He froze, wrapping his arms around himself. He addressed the ceiling. “I’m not playing your sick games! You might as well get it over with and kill me.” He swayed, his pale skin growing even paler.

“Let’s get out of here for now.. I know a safe place and can teleport us there. If you trust me.”

He frowned, then sighed. “Please don’t trick me. I can’t take any more lies.”

“I’m completely serious. Branch has screwed me up so much, I just want to get out of here.” 

“Why take me? You don’t even know me..” His eyes began to flutter as he leaned against the wall.

“You look just as scared as I feel. And I’m a doctor, it’s my job to help people and you look in need of help.”

“Doctors never help…” He muttered before collapsing in her arms.

She shook her head, teleporting them to the infirmary. She swayed, feeling weird as she teleported. 

“Darlin?” Tet looked up at her from where Akasa was stitching him up. “You okay?”

“What happened to you?” She said quietly as she moved the other man to a bed.

“Had a disagreement with a scientist.”

Andy nodded slowly, “How long was I gone this time..?”

“A few hours. I was looking for you and ran into one of the bastards skulking around the clinic. I confronted him and he attacked.” Tet’s eyes strayed to the other bed. “Another stray?”

Andy nodded, “Found him at Branch. Seemed like they were letting us go...”

His eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound right. What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know yet,” she sighed and started looking him over. 

Malnutrition, dehydration and healing fractures in his legs were revealed.

Andy said a few healing spells, pain suddenly shooting through her. She winced before scanning herself over and finding the same symptoms. She scanned the man over and found him to be alright. She quietly sat down, trying to figure out what Branch could have done to her to screw her up like this. She quietly went over to Tet to test her theory out, holding her hands up and saying a few healing spells. She tried to keep her face as neutral as possible before she left the infirmary and headed to her room and locking the door. She cursed as she found she now had an injury in the exact location Tet had. Somehow Branch had screwed her healing up so instead of just healing them, it passed the wounds onto her. She cursed, stitching the wound up quickly before changing and slowly moving back to the infirmary quietly. She sat next to the man she found, waiting for him to regain consciousness.

Tet moved to her side gingerly, looking at the man. “He looks almost as young as Ryu. Anything serious?”

She shook her head, “He’s fine now, just needs rest.”

“You look the same.”

She nodded, “I should probably go get some rest, I just want to make sure he’s going to be alright when he wakes.”

The man groaned, his eyes opening. He scrambled off the bed and against the wall as he saw Tet. “Where am I?”

“Shh, calm down. You’re in the safe place I told you about,” Andy said softly. 

He took a deep breath, then nodded. “Sorry. Been there so long I’m not used to being out.”

“It’s alright. Like I said before, I’m Andy. This is Tet. You’re at a military base full of shifters, vamps, porters, and witches. And a lot of us have been affected by Branch.”

His eyes widened. “You’re the ones they’re constantly cursing..” He gave a small smile. “I’m Yuki.”

“Nice to meet you,” Andy smiled softly.

“What now? I mean you must want something for rescuing me right?”

She shook her head, “Not at all. You’re probably free to stay here if you’d like, or we can help you find your way home if you do have somewhere to go.”

“Home? I don’t have a home.. Unless you count that lab.” He sat down in a chair. “No doubt I was declared dead years ago. The Agency doesn’t like to wait around for missing agents.”

She nodded slowly, “Well, this can be your home now. We can get you a room to stay in.”

“Don’t you have a boss? I doubt he’ll appreciate a freeloader.”

Andy rolled her eyes and looked at Tet, “Go get Tsukasa?”

He grinned and left the infirmary, returning with the dragon a few moments later.

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow as he saw Yuki. “Agent Ota. It’s been a while.”

Yuki’s eyes went wide. “Kadoya?  _ You’re _ her boss?”

Andy chuckled, “I told Yuki he could stay but he didn’t think my boss would allow it.”

“Idiot. I’ve been looking for you for years. You sure as hell aren’t leaving now.” Tsukasa looked at her. “Tie him down if necessary. And start feeding him, he’s skinnier than the porters.” 

The dragon left as Yuki stared in disbelief.

Andy looked at Tet, “Can you show him to a room and get him some food? I’m not sure I’m up for it right now..”

He nodded and gave her a soft kiss. “Go rest before you end up in here.” He waved his hand in front of Yuki’s face. “Come on, I’ll give you the $1.50 tour.”

The agent blinked, then followed Tet out.

Andy made her way to her room, laying down and soon falling to sleep. 

When she got up a few hours later, she was still sore from the healing wounds but felt a bit better overall. She headed out of her room and down toward the kitchen.

“So Kadoya, like an idiot, tries to grab the drive and promptly ends up in the canal. I however grabbed it right before an ornery gull flew off with it. He was less than pleased, as was his superiors as he told me later. He ended up sending me a bill for cold medicine. I sent it back with a box of tissue.” Yuki’s voice was struggling not to laugh.

Andy chuckled, going to the fridge and grabbing a blood bag before sitting down and biting into it.

“So you’ve known him for years? You don’t look that old.” Tet was stirring something as he talked.

“Prodigy. Graduated high school at twelve, college at eighteen. The Agency snapped me up and I spent most of my career annoying your boss when he worked military intelligence. I was taken ten years ago. He’d long since made colonel and moved to running this outfit.”

Andy frowned, “They had you ten years and just let you go...?”

He sighed. “I know. I have the same worries.” He watched her draining the bag intently, then paled.

She raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”

“You tell me..” He opened his mouth, exposing fangs. “What did they do to me?”

“Probably turned you. They turned me a while ago, along with quite a bit of other stuff.” She went and got him a bag and tossed it to him.

He gingerly bit into it, then drained it in a matter of seconds. He looked at her quietly. “How do you deal with it all?”

“Not the best..” she sighed. “I was born a witch and a necromancer. Then they made me a shifter, with three different shifts, and a vampire. They’ve controlled me, messed with my head, made me attack my friends... It’s not really easy to deal with. But my friends help me through it the best they can.”

Tet moved to her side and kissed her. “It helps we know a little about being guinea pigs. We’ll help you too.”

Yuki nodded as a large cheetah bounded into the room.

Tet chuckled, going back to the stove. “It’s almost done. Get decent unless you want to eat like that.”

Andy glanced at the cheetah, “What’s up?”

It shifted into Kei. “Finally perfected the potion.”

“Good job,” she smiled. “Kei, meet Yuki. Yuki, this is one of our witches, Kei.”

Yuki gave him a smile. “I take it you felt left out?”

Kei laughed. “Only a little. You the newest member of this asylum?”

“I ended up at Branch again and found him,” Andy admitted.

The witch scowled. “Point me at them. I need the red meat.” He paused, then shook his head. “On second thought, don’t want food poisoning.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “At least I was only there a few hours instead of wasting more months of my life there.” 

Yuki winced at her comment, his eyes staring at the floor. He excused himself, leaving the kitchen hurriedly.

Andy sighed, shaking her head. 

“Something I said?” Kei looked confused.

She shook her head, “No.. Probably what I said. He spent ten years there apparently.”

“Ten  _ years _ ? Shit..and he’s still sane?”

She shrugged, “Seems like.”

“He’s a vamp? He didn’t seem too happy the way he was staring at that bag.” Kei sat in the vacated seat as Tet began serving the food.

“I think he just found out,” Andy admitted. 

“Damn. That sucks. He gonna be okay?” The witch watched her as he started eating.

“I don’t know. I better go check on him.” She got up and headed out of the kitchen and headed to find his room.

She could hear his sobs before she reached his door.

She knocked slowly, hoping he’d answer.

“It’s open.”

Andy opened it before entering, “Hey.. How are you doing? Do you want to talk about anything or need a hug?”

He gave her a small smile as he wiped his eyes. “I think it just hit me. I’ve been gone ten years. Everyone I knew has moved on believing I was dead.” He flipped something metal at her.

She caught it, glancing down at it.

A silver wedding band lay in her palm.

“It had only been six months when I was taken.” His voice was soft.

“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been,” she tossed it gently back to him.

He gave a bitter laugh. “I can only hope she’s happy now. I guess I should be grateful they didn’t kill me, huh?”

She sighed, “Sometimes I wonder if it’d be easier if they did just kill us than making us deal with everything they’ve done to us.” 

“That would entail having a heart.” Yuki dropped the ring into the bedside drawer and closed it. “I could use that hug now.”

She gave a small smile and approached him, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m here if you ever need anything. Even if it’s just a hug and you don’t want to talk. If I’m not in my room, I’m in the kitchen or infirmary.”

He nodded as he clung to her. “Does it get easier?”

“Dealing with what happened? Yeah a bit. It’s just hard when they keep taking me over and over and bringing all the memories back up.”

He sighed as he released her. “I’m sorry. Maybe you should have left me there.”

She shook her head, “You don’t belong there. You belong with friends.”

He chuckled. “Yes ma’am.”

There was a sudden pounding at the door. “Andy? You in there?” Tet’s voice was strained.

She sighed and opened the door, “What’s wrong?”

“Ryusei’s team was ambushed.”

Andy cursed, “Alright, I’ll be right there.” She glanced back at Yuki, “Remember, I’m always here if you need it.” She went to the infirmary and looked around to see who all was injured.

Zal and Ryon were being treated by Akasa and Yamae. There was a sheet over one of the beds and Yamae was blinking back tears.

Andy went to the bed, taking a deep breath before pulling the sheet back and looking at the damage. 

A single bullet had hit Ryusei at point blank range in the chest. There was a large hole in his back and it had no doubt killed him instantly.

Andy took a deep breath, praying that her necromancer abilities wouldn’t affect her like her spells. She covered him in gold light, healing the injury and bringing him to life. She felt pain in her chest, clutching at it before collapsing bonelessly to the ground.

Akasa yelled for Jun as he knelt beside her. His mind blanked as he saw the wound. How the hell had she acquired Ryusei’s exact injury? He shelved the question as the other necromancer entered the infirmary at a run.

Jun helped get Andy on a bed, then he focused his power on her. Blue light covered and healed her as he waited anxiously for her to breathe.

She sucked in air, her eyes shooting open in a panic.

“Take it easy.” Akasa laid a hand on her arm. “Everything’s alright now.”

She shook her head, “Branch... they screwed up my healing...”

The nurse cursed, sending Jun to tell Tsukasa. He looked at Andy. “Just calm down. We’ll fix this somehow.”

She pushed herself into a sitting position, trying not to hyperventilate.

“Breathe. In,out.” Akasa commanded, his eyes locked on her face.

She tried to do as instructed, slowly calming down a bit. “Sorry..”

He shook his head. “It’s understandable.”

Tsukasa arrived, gently laying his hands on her shoulders. “What happened?”

“Well, today I was taken by Branch again, but it was weird that they let me go.. I found out when doing healing spells on Yuki and Tet that somehow they made it so instead of just healing them, it transfers the wounds to me. Then they came in and I hoped my necro powers would be different, but..” she trailed off.

“Alright,” Tsukasa took a deep breath. “You’re on stand down for now. We’ll wait and see if it fixes itself. If it doesn’t, we’ll figure out what to do then.”

She nodded slowly, trying to push herself up off the bed. 

“You need to rest.” Jun said softly.

She looked up at him, her expression slightly lost. 

“You took Ryusei’s injury. You need to let your body adjust to the shock.” Akasa frowned.

She nodded again, laying back and staring at the ceiling.

The three moved away as Tet ran in. “Darlin, are you okay?”

She glanced at him, tears in her eyes, “Branch screwed me up even more..”

He wrapped his arms around her, silently vowing vengeance as she cried. 

She took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes, “Sorry.. I’ll be alright..”

“Nothing to be sorry about, darlin. Just rest and don’t worry.”

She nodded slowly, going back to staring at the ceiling.

Tet silently cursed as he left the infirmary, trying to think of how to fix the problem. He sat in the conference room for a while before standing and reciting the teleportation spell.

Andy continued to stare at the ceiling until she finally passed out.

Akasa sighed as he sat down watching her. How much more could she take before she broke? Either she would need serious counseling and rest or she’d run away. He almost wished for the second option, but that had its own set of issues. He shook his head and settled in to wait.

Andy eventually woke again, blinking her eyes open and glancing around before staring blankly at the wall.

“Andy? I hate to ask, but do you know where Tet went?” Kiba gently brushed her hair back, his eyes soft.

She shook her head, “He left here a while ago..”

He nodded. “Alright. You just rest. I’ll find him.” Kiba left, his mind checking off possible places.

She sighed, looking down at her hands.

Yuki came in, sitting down beside her silently. He took one of her hands and squeezed softly.

She looked up at him for a moment before sighing, “Guess everyone’s heard that I’m screwed up, huh?”

He gave her a small smile. “Everyone’s worried about you. You’ve got quite the cheering section here.”

“Probably because I keep them all alive. But I can’t do that now..”

“You know, they don’t seem to care about that. All I’ve heard is how their heart is hurting and they don’t know how to help. The young man you healed is worried he’ll be the cause of more nightmares for you. Your other necromancer and that witch are combing their books for something to help. They mentioned if you leave, they will too.Only they didn’t use the word leave.” He cocked his head as he watched her face. “They care about  **_you_ ** , not your gifts.” 

“I don’t get it.. I’m just a doctor who helps take care of them. I’m just a tool used by Branch. I’m nothing special..” She looked away.

“You sure are dense. I’ve been here less than one day and I can tell you’re the one they follow. Not Kadoya. You. They have told me stories that make me stand in awe of you. You’ve given yourself up to Branch to save them, you were ready to turn yourself over to the military police to save Kadoya. That makes you undeniably special in my book. But I’m just the newbie here. I don’t know anything.” He stood and began to walk away.

“Thank you..”

He stopped and turned. “For what?”

“Helping me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You helped me first. Only right I return the favor.”

She gave a small smile in response.

A sudden light appeared, coalescing into a small box. It landed in Andy’s hand. 

She looked at it in confusion.

Akasa came over and frowned. “What is it?”

She opened it slowly.

A syringe lay tied with a ribbon. A promise ring was tied into the ribbon’s bow and there was a folded note.

She stared at it confused and unfolded the note.

_ “Darlin, warrior goddess, love of my life _

_ This will fix your problem. I have their word. I have made a deal with them. You don’t have to fear losing your life anymore. Tell Kiba not to be too hard on the squad, okay? And keep putting the anti depressants in Boss’ food- the calm suits him. Try not to prank the guys too much and make sure Ryu and Shouma don’t forget to eat occasional healthy stuff. Don’t blame yourself, this was my decision. _

_ I love you beyond life itself. Tet” _

Her eyes filled with tears and she pushed herself out of the bed. She ran out of the infirmary to find Kiba. When she spotted him, she grabbed onto his arm, “You have to help me get him back..”

He gave her a confused look. “Who? You’re not making any sense.”

She handed him the box and note.

His eyes went gold and he snarled in fury. “I’m going to kill him!”

She took the box back, grabbing the syringe and sticking it in her arm before slipping the ring on her finger. She grabbed onto Kiba, focusing on Tet and teleporting them to his location.

A white coated man shook his head as he saw her. “You aren’t very smart. That guy convinced us to leave you alone and you show up?”

“I’m not letting him give himself up,” Andy growled. “I’ll fight Branch forever if it means I can keep him with me.”

Kiba snarled and shifted. He stood shaking next to her and waited. 

She shifted, attacking the scientist before looking around for Tet.

Kiba ran ahead, then stopped in front of a room and howled.

She followed, looking into the room.

Tet lay on a table, his eyes closed as several scientists spoke above him. They began to ready surgical instruments and looked at medical scans.

Andy raced in, biting into them and quickly draining them. When she got through them, she reverted back to human form and gently lifted Tet up. She went back to Kiba and grabbed onto him before teleporting to the infirmary. She laid Tet in a bed, checking him over for any injuries.

He lay pale against the sheets and Kiba reverted, reaching a hand to touch him. He recoiled, tears beginning to streak his cheeks. “Andy.. he’s ice cold. We were too late..”

She shook her head, focusing on him, covering him in gold light and praying.

Nothing happened and Kiba turned away, stumbling to a chair and putting his head in his hands.

Andy checked him over again, looking for anything she could have missed. She went back to pushing gold light into him, using all her strength.

Kei slowly entered, his eyes widening at the scene. After watching for ten minutes, he gently took Andy in his arms. “It’s time to stop, Andy. They used a glove.” 

She took a deep breath before heading into the lab. She looked up the potion recipe and began working, pouring her energy into it as she put the ingredients in. After a long while, she came out, bottle in hand. She moved slowly to Tet, pouring some down his throat before focusing her energy on him again. The gold light surrounded him, and even though she felt like passing out, she continued. 

Tet arched his back suddenly, sucking in air before letting out a cry of pain.

She continued pushing energy into him to try to help with pain until she finally collapsed.

Kei caught her, gently lifting and putting her on the bed next to Tet. He exchanged looks with Kiba as they saw the low life signs of both shifters. “I’ll see if I can help.” He disappeared into the lab.

Ten minutes later, he emerged. He went to Andy’s side and poured a potion down her throat.

Andy woke slowly, still feeling pretty weak. She looked over at Tet and scanned him over.

His heartbeat was slow, but steady as was his blood pressure. Everything checked out until she got to his brain. Whole parts were dark and unresponsive, others working at the minimum needed to sustain his life.

She said multiple spells before pushing silver light into him. She felt herself growing tired but continued anyway, not wanting to give up on him.

His brain began responding, slowly at first, then rapidly gaining strength. Soon, every reading showed perfectly normal.

She let out a relieved sigh before releasing the light and laying back.

Akasa rolled his eyes. “You’ll never learn, will you?”

She looked at him and shrugged.

Tsukasa walked in, his eyes stormy and smoke trailing behind. “Damn idiot really got us in trouble this time.”

Andy glanced at him, “Why? What’s up?”

“Branch is raising objections. Said Tet signed himself over of his own free will and that your attack was illegal. They’re pushing for his return and your dismissal.”

“I’m not letting him get taken back..” she looked down, her mind racing for ideas.

“Katshiro is being pressured on the legality. If Branch has their way in court, we won’t have a choice. You’ll be forced to leave the squad and Tet.. I told him I’ll resign and the squad will quit. But then we’ll have no recourse aside from going rogue to get him back.” The smoke thickened as he watched Tet sleep. “He wasn’t thinking straight, was he?”

She sighed, pushing herself up to a sitting position. She stayed quiet, contemplating what to do. She could make her own deal with Branch to free Tet.. or she could go destroy Branch once again and erase all records of their deal.. but destroying them, they always keep coming back.. She shook her head, unsure what the best course was.

“Boss..sorry about this.” Tet’s voice was groggy but strong. “Tell the General I’ll go back.”

Andy growled before saying the spell to freeze them. She continued to think for a few more minutes before moving to kiss Tet’s forehead. She then said the teleportation spell and found herself outside of Branch. She slowly approached, hoping this would work. 

“What is your purpose here?” A man emerged from the building warily.

“I want to make a deal to void out the one Tet signed. I know I’m a bigger target than he is, you guys keep coming after me and I cause you plenty of problems..” 

“How do we know this isn’t a trick?”

Andy sighed, “I don’t know. I just want to save him and keep him safe..”

A pair of arms wrapped around her and yanked her into the bushes surrounding the building.

She growled, looking back to see who it was.

Tet glared at her, his eyes flickering. “What do you think you’re doing?” He hissed under his breath.

“I can’t live knowing you gave yourself up for me, so I’m doing what I can to save you and hopefully protect the whole team,” she answered quickly. “I don’t care what they do to me, I just want you safe. I didn’t bring you back just for you to walk into their arms again,” she growled.

“You don’t trust my judgement.” He sighed heavily. “I had a plan to dismantle Branch once and for all..” He stared into the distance as he spoke. “Part of it is already done. But you obviously don’t believe I can take care of myself, so what’s the damn point?”

“Yes, you being  _ dead _ totally gives me the idea that you know what you’re doing,” she rolled her eyes angrily.

“It was planned! I knew what was going to happen! I’m not a fucking idiot. I just believed getting rid of the target on your back was more important than my life. That’s what it means to be in the military. You believe the freedom, safety and happiness of  _ everyone _ is more important than your own. But it goes into the stratosphere when it comes to your safety for me. I want you to be able to sleep, to  **live** without the specter of these bastards in your head. To someday possibly have children that will grow up safe and happy without the worry that someone will come to dissect you or them.” He was shaking, his eyes tear filled. “You are so much more important to me than my life. I’m sorry I can’t change that. I will  _ always _ pick you over myself..”

“You ever stop to think that I feel the same about you? And you expect me to  _ not  _ come save you and to just move on with my life?” She now had tears streaming down her face.

“I..” He shook his head, then kissed her hard. It was rough, full of need and pain and love. It was like he was trying to transmit all his feelings into her.

She kissed back just as hard, never wanting to let go.

He finally pulled back, breathing hard. “Darlin, I love you so much it terrifies me. The idea of you in there is a nightmare I can’t stand. I can’t live without you and they are determined to make me try. I  _ will not _ allow that. I’m sorry.” He suddenly plunged a syringe in her arm and injected the contents.

She felt herself growing dizzy, sleep trying to take over. She muttered, “can’t.. live without you..” before the darkness took over.

Tet cradled her close, a soft sad smile on his face. “My beautiful darlin. I don’t deserve you.” He gently kissed her lips before reciting the teleport spell.

They materialized in their room and he laid her on the bed. “Live well. I’ll always love you.” With a final look, he vanished.

He reappeared at Branch and walked into the building without looking back.

Andy woke slowly, feeling groggy from the injection. Her heart dropped when she realized what happened. She wasn’t thinking straight, knowing anything she did, Tet would keep trying to save her. She teleported herself out of the room, finding herself outside in the forest. She walked slowly, feeling numb as she approached the cliff.

“Andy, don’t you dare! You need to come back. He needs you.” Jun appeared in front of her.

She looked up at him, her eyes blank.

“Dammit Andy!” The witch slapped her hard. “He needs you! I have my hands full with the others.  _ Help me _ !”

Her hand went to her face as her eyes began registering what was around her. “Jun..?” 

He gave a small sigh of relief. “Yeah. Now will you  _ please  _ get to the infirmary? We have a serious situation.” He vanished in a flash of light.

Andy took a deep breath and teleported to the infirmary.

Jun was hunched over several beds, his blue light covering the badly injured men there.

Akasa was doing surgery on Kiba, his eyes desperate.

Tsukasa looked up from his seat beside a still Tet. “Andy..”

Andy went to Tet, still feeling pretty numb. She scanned him over to see if anything was physically wrong.

The remnants of a slow poison revealed itself in his blood.

“His plan worked. Branch has been disavowed. We went in to arrest them all and it turned into a firefight. They’re all dead. I found him after.” Tsukasa took a deep breath, then winced and held one shoulder.

Andy took a blood sample and went to create an antidote for the poison. She injected it before focusing on him, covering him in gold light.

He sucked in a shaky breath, then his eyes opened. He looked at her in relief. “It’s over. We’re finally free..”

She sat down beside him, trying to push away the numbness.

He looked at her face and his eyes dropped. “I’m sorry, darlin. I know I went too far. I’ll go now.” He began the teleport spell, his voice shaky.

She grabbed his hand, holding it tight.

He stopped, searching her face. “Darlin?”

“Don’t go..” she whispered. 

He stared in confusion. “I hurt you too badly this time.. I don’t deserve to be here..”

“Don’t go,” she repeated, a little louder. After a deep breath she added, “Need you..”

His eyes grew hopeful. “You still want me?” He was fighting sleep, his body heavy.

“Of course. Just rest.” She said softly, her eyes becoming more focused.

He gave her hand a squeeze as his eyes closed.

Andy sat there a bit longer, watching him. She then got up and went to check with Akasa about Kiba.

The nurse was taking deep breaths where he sat. “Damn wolf. He always has to make things difficult.”

“Is he okay?”

“He will be, hopefully. He lost a lot of blood and I had to hold the hole in his heart closed while I healed other things. I just hope he wasn’t deprived of oxygen too long.”

She nodded slowly, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I don’t know. Your gift is stronger than mine.”

Andy checked Kiba over, reciting a few spells before kissing his forehead. She then went back to sitting beside Tet.


	54. Chapter 54

Kiba was walking with Tet and Andy toward the kitchen when he suddenly froze and went pale at the sight of a man heading for Tsukasa’s office.

“What’s wrong?” Andy looked back at him.

“Why is he here now?” Kiba looked like he was about to panic.

Tet steadied him and glanced at Andy in concern. “Maybe we should sit him down somewhere.”

Andy nodded and moved Kiba to one of the nearest rec rooms. She sat him on a couch and crouched in front of him, “Just take deep breaths, everything will be alright.”

“He’s gonna get me thrown off the squad..” Kiba squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe through the lump in his chest.

“You know we won’t let that happen.. But who is he?” Andy asked softly.

“My uncle.”

Tet growled. “ _ That’s _ the sonofabitch? I have a mind to let some rage out..”

Kiba’s eyes flew open. “You can’t! He is Katshiro’s aide! He can have you dismissed..or worse!”

Andy sighed, “Tsukasa won’t let anyone throw you off the squad and neither will the rest of us. No matter what this asshole does, we’ll take care of it.”

Kiba hung his head. “That’s what our mother said too. Right before he convinced my father to give me to Branch…”

Tet cursed repeatedly under his breath, wrapping his arms around Kiba.

“I swear, we won’t let anything happen to you. They’ll have to go through us first,” Andy squeezed his hand gently.

He tried to smile at her, but it was fleeting. “I think I need to be alone right now..” He shakily stood and walked away down the hall.

Andy shook her head and looked at Tet, “What are we going to do?”

“My first choice? Slow death. But he’s right, I can’t just kill him. I guess we can only hope Tsukasa tells him to go to hell.”

“I mean, we don’t even know what he’s here for exactly.. It might have nothing to do with Kiba?” Andy gave a hopeful look.

“True. This is the first time I’ve ever seen the bastard. Maybe he just wants to discuss finances or something.” Tet shrugged but didn’t look convinced.

  
  


“He’s not fit for this squad and you know it.” The man glared at Tsukasa, ignoring the smoke building on the ceiling.

“Who the fuck are you to make that determination? I see him putting his ass on the line against things and people that would make your toes curl. And why now? You got somewhere else you want to sell him to?!” The dragon couldn’t help the shout and prayed no one was close enough to hear.

The man scowled. “He was a troublemaker. Branch helped him.”

“HE WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, YOU SON OF A BITCH! They almost killed him the first week they had him and they’ve continued to torture him ever since. You’re so fucking self righteous. Did the money drown out his screams when they ripped him away?”

Andy knocked on the door and waited a moment before sticking her head in, “You okay in here Tsukasa? I heard yelling.” She glanced at the man and tried not to lunge at him.

“I think my blood pressure is through the roof, but other than that..” He glared at the man. “This discussion is over. Kiba’s staying. I’m sure you can find your way out.”

The man sneered at him as he headed for the door. “We’ll see about that.”

Andy moved to allow him to exit before entering, “Kiba saw that asshole was here. He’s upset.”

“ **Fuck.** I was hoping he’d be gone and Kiba wouldn’t have to know.” The dragon sat down hard behind his desk, his eyes still blazing. “How much did you hear?”

“Between what I heard and what Kiba told me, I get the picture,” she sighed. “I wish we could just bite everyone like him..”

He chuckled humorlessly. “Our jaws would give out before we got halfway done. If he wasn’t connected the way he was, I would have fried him a decade ago.”

Andy nodded in understanding.

“That bastard kept us apart for twenty years. Now he’s trying to do it again..” Tsukasa’s hands shook as he fought tears. “I won’t allow him to steal my brother again…” His breathing was getting faster, his eyes staring at his desk but not seeing it.

Andy moved to him and wrapped her arms around him, “It’s alright. You know the rest of us won’t let Kiba go without a fight either.”

“They came in the middle of the night, charging into our room like they were cornering a fugitive.. I tried to stop it, but they tied me with zip ties and dragged him out screaming. I remember my father being stone faced as he kept my mother from chasing them. I never looked at him the same way after that night. He had been my hero up till then. Overnight, he became a stranger.” Tsukasa’s voice was soft. “I joined the military so I could find him, but when I did..he had no memory of me or our parents..”

“I can’t imagine how hard that would be,” she answered quietly, giving him a tight squeeze. 

“You should be more worried about Kiba right now. I’m sure he’s a mess.” Tsukasa gave her a faint smile.

Andy sighed, “We were trying to help him but he said he wanted to be alone.. I’ll go see if I can find him though and check on him.” She left the office and headed to see where Kiba would be. She searched multiple rooms until she finally spotted him.

“I was right wasn’t I? He was here for me..” Kiba’s voice was defeated.

Andy took a deep breath and nodded, “Tsukasa told him to fuck off though.”

“He won’t care. He’ll just go above Saka’s head and get me anyway. This was just a visit to see if Saka was as amoral as he is. He probably offered him money.”

“None of us are letting you go without a fight, Kiba. Especially Tet and I. I don’t care what they do to me, or who I have to go through, I’m not letting you go.”

“You can’t fight the whole military. But don’t worry, you won’t have to. I fixed the problem..” 

Andy’s eyes narrowed and she moved so she could get a better look at him.

He looked up at her through heavy lidded and unfocused eyes. An empty syringe lay in one limp hand.

“Kiba! This isn’t the way to handle things..” Andy lifted him up, carrying him to the infirmary and preparing a counter medicine. She injected it before taking his hand, “Kiba, I’d rather fight the whole military than lose you.”

“He’ll give me to the scientists again. And you too, if you fight him. This is better.” He tried to get off the bed around her.

Tears filled her eyes, “I can’t handle losing you.” She wrapped her arms around him as the tears began to spill.

He began to sob, shaking as he clutched her close. “I don’t want you hurt..I’d rather die than let him hurt either of you. Can’t you understand that? I’m protecting you both..”

“And I’d rather die than let you get taken. I’m going to fight for you, no matter what,” Andy answered. “Unless we’d rather  _ all _ just kill ourselves then none of us would have to deal with it..”

Kiba sobbed harder at her words. “Don’t say that..”

“Sorry,” she said quietly. After another minute she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The words were drowsy, his tears having exhausted him.

“Just rest for now, we can talk more when you wake up, okay? Don’t worry,” she said softly before kissing his forehead.

He gave her a small smile as his eyes slid closed and he relaxed in her arms.

She laid him back on the bed, sitting down beside him and watching him sleep.

Tet came quietly in, his gaze questioning as he moved to her side. He watched Kiba, his eyes flickering. “Boss has locked himself in his office. He won’t even let Daiki in.”

She sighed, “Damn.”

“Worried about both of them going off the deep end.”

“Kiba’s already there.”

“Shit. How bad?”

“He injected himself with something.”

Tet closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them. “Any idea how to fix this?”

She sighed, “Other than killing a bunch of people, no.”

He sat down beside her and rubbed his face wearily.

Suddenly a gunshot rang out, echoing in the hall.

Andy cursed, rushing out to find out what happened.

Daiki was sitting against Tsukasa’s door, his eyes empty as blood seeped out from under it. 

Andy cursed, working on getting the door unlocked. She gently moved Daiki aside and opened it, entering quickly and kneeling beside Tsukasa.

A single shot to the chest, the gun lying in his lap, a note beside him.

“I tried to talk to him..he’d been yelling for awhile into the phone..he wouldn’t open the door..” Daiki’s voice was slow, his gaze lost. “I..” He covered his face with his hands as red tears streaked his face.

Andy looked at the note and read it over.

_ I tried, Kiba. I threatened and begged, but they wouldn’t understand. They’re coming and I can’t stop them. I’m so sorry, brother. I failed you again. Forgive me. _

Andy cursed, picking up Tsukasa and carrying him into the infirmary. She set up a blood transfusion before working on healing and reviving Tsukasa. She then looked at Tet, “They’re coming for Kiba.. You know I’ll do anything to stop them. You might want to warn the others though so they don’t get in my way.”

“You know we’ll join you. No need to get testy.” Tet ran out of the room.

A moment later the alarms went off and his voice came over the comm. “Code Red! Hostiles enroute! They intend to take Kiba for research. Get armed and prepare to defend!”

Akasa entered, frowning at the sight of the two men. “They stable?”

“Yeah,” Andy nodded, “They need to be watched so they don’t try anything else stupid.” 

“You can count on me. Go get ready.”

Andy nodded, heading to get armed. She then stood outside the infirmary, waiting for any sign of trouble.

Ryon, Yamae and Kei appeared, faces stony. She heard Ryon mutter “They intend to take Kiba? They should revise that to they intend to die where they stand.”

Andy sighed, “We’re probably going to be in so much trouble if we survive this.”

Yamae gave a shrug. “They started it. They should know better by now, but if we have to keep doing this, I’m demanding a professor’s salary.”

Andy gave a small chuckle in response. 

Soon most of the team was spread in the halls, all of them angry.

Tet reappeared at her side, gun in hand. “Ready to do this?” 

Andy nodded, “Yeah, you?”

“I was looking for a fight. This definitely qualifies.”

“I hope this all works out for Kiba’s sake.”

“Well, we’ll be dead if it doesn’t, so there’s that.” He gave her a rueful grin. “Won’t matter much.”

Andy nodded, “True.”

Tet’s radio buzzed and he unhooked it. “Yeah?”

Ryusei’s voice was tight. “Car and van approaching my position. Shall I let them pass?”

Tet looked at her. “Should we let them come in and try to talk?”

“According to Tsukasa’s note, he tried talking and threatening and it still didn’t matter. Let’s fight them off from the start.” 

He keyed his radio again. “No. Make them work for it. If they get testy, shoot them.”

The porter laughed. “My pleasure.”

Andy took a deep breath, praying that somehow things would work out for the squad.

Ten minutes later, there was the sound of gunfire outside.

Tet exchanged looks with Andy, then grabbed his radio. “It appears they have entered the base. Do your best not to let them get to the infirmary.”

There was a chorus of ‘yes sirs’, then silence.

Ryon shifted into his wolf form, while his brothers shifted into their own. Tet gave a thoughtful look, then shifted as well. 

Andy prepared herself, going over spells in her head.

A few minutes later all hell broke loose. There was the sound of fighting from every side it seemed. Then she saw Kiba’s uncle, a white coated man following. They both scowled as they saw their way to the infirmary blocked.

“Move unless you want to be court martialed.” He stopped a few feet away with a sneer. “We have permission to take custody of Kiba Kadoya.”

The shifters growled warningly.

Andy muttered a painful kill spell at Kiba’s uncle and the white coat before answering, “We aren’t letting you have him.”

“Sorry, little girl. Those don’t work on us. You should run along to the kitchen now and let us men talk.” His uncle said condescendingly.

Tet let out a laugh as he reverted. “You really have a death wish don’t you? The last guy who talked that way to Darlin got turned to ash.”

Andy growled, rushing forward. Her hands changed into her sharp panther claws as she sliced at him.

He jumped back as the white coat reached for something in his pocket.

Tet aimed his pistol at him. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

Andy pounced at Kiba’s uncle, turning into a snake and wrapping herself up around his throat.

He panicked, trying to dislodge her.

She tightened around him, cutting off his air supply.

He scrabbled at her, his face turning blue. Finally, he dropped to the floor in front of the stunned scientist and lay still.

She stayed there a few moments more before biting into him and draining him of his blood to make sure he was dead. She then reverted, straightening up before turning toward the scientist.

He began to back away, his hands outstretched. Then he turned and ran the way they had come.

Kei and his brothers chased after him, disappearing around the corner as the fighting began to fade. There was a scream, then silence.

Andy took a deep breath before heading down the hallway to check on everyone who was injured.

Yoshi and Rei were supporting a pale Jun. “We’re fine, but he’s a little weak.”

Andy nodded, helping Jun to the infirmary. She began spreading energy over him, trying to get him looking better. 

Tet came in slowly. “Lady luck smiled on us. We have only a few fatalities. Most of the injuries are minor and all the bad guys are dead.”

Andy nodded, “Bring the fatalities in here and I’ll work on helping them.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think you can help the majority of them. His brothers are bringing in Ryusei.”

“Why don’t you think I can help?” Andy asked quietly.

“According to Hitoshi, the squad in the van started throwing uv grenades towards the vamps position. We haven’t been able to raise any of them.”

Andy looked up, “Who all got hit?” She sighed, “I don’t want to give up on them completely.”

“Jack, Zal, Yuki..and Daiki. There won’t be anything to revive. I hope they’re okay for Boss’ sake. He’ll freak if he wakes to find Daiki gone.”

Andy nodded, “Let me take care of Ryusei then we can go look and see if we find anything.”

He nodded as Hitoshi ran in, a limp and bloodstained Ryusei in his arms.

Andy took him and laid him gently on a bed before covering him in gold light. Slowly the wounds closed and she waited for signs of life.

It took several minutes for him to respond, but his chest finally began to move.

Tsukasa let out a groan. “Why am I alive?”

“Because.” Andy answered. “The team didn’t care if people were coming for Kiba. We killed them.”

He turned terrified eyes on her. “You  _ what _ ?”

“We killed your uncle and everyone else he brought with him. Don’t worry, we’ll take the heat so you don’t get in trouble.” She glanced over at Kiba. “I saved Kiba too, by the way.”

“You’ll get arrested..or worse.” He looked over and his eyes softened. “Thank you for that.” He slowly sat up and looked around. “Where’s Daiki?”

Tet grimaced and turned away.

“We aren’t entirely sure the location of any of the vamps right now.. We were about to go looking.” Andy gave him a small smile, “I believe in them. I’m sure they’re alright.”

He nodded slowly, swallowing hard.

Tet touched her arm. “Come on.”

When they got into the hall, he gave her a look. “I don’t know if you should have given him false hope.”

Andy sighed, “It’s true though, I believe in them. But  _ if _ the time comes, I’ll be the one to tell him the bad news and I’ll apologize.”

He nodded, kissing her forehead. He headed out toward the last known location with resigned eyes. He scanned the area, his stomach knotting as he saw several scorch marks on the ground.

Andy followed behind, keeping her eyes focused for anything that stuck out as important. 

Tet stopped, hanging his head. “I think they’re..”

“I’m going to keep looking,” Andy answered, moving in front of him and looking further.

A flash of blue in the treeline caught her eye, then a flash of red.

“Daiki? Yuki?” Andy went into the trees, “Zal? Jack?”

“Andy?” Yuki’s voice was pain filled as he staggered into her line of sight. His red shirt was in tatters, severe burns visible. “Help us…”

“Of course,” she went to him and started reciting healing spells. After a few she asked, “Where are the others?”

He pointed behind him weakly. “Jack and Zal are worse than I am.”

“And is Daiki here?” She asked quietly, moving slowly toward where he was pointing.

“He took most of the damage. He died in my arms. He’s with the others.” Yuki slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

Andy took a deep breath and went to them, spending the next while working on reciting healing spells for Jack and Zal. She then moved to Daiki and focused her light on him. Gold surrounded him and she pushed as much power into it as possible. 

The devastating burns slowly healed, leaving him still and pale.

Tet appeared beside them. “The others are being taken to the infirmary. How’s he doing?”

“Slowly improving...” She focused more, praying he’d start breathing soon.

He remained lifeless, his burnt clothing fluttering in the wind.

Andy refused to give up, continuing to push as much power as possible into him.

Tet sighed, then wrapped his hands around hers and forced them down. “He’s gone. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

She shook her head, tears in her eyes, “I’m not letting him go.” She put her hands back up and increased the power she was pushing into him. She began feeling the exhaustion but continued, refusing to have to tell Tsukasa that Daiki was dead.

“Darlin..” Tet tried to pull her away. “You tried your best.”

“No! I’m not letting him die!” Andy fought against him, putting her hand on Daiki’s chest and shoving as much energy as she could gather into him.

He jerked, coughing violently. His chest heaved as he sucked in air desperately. His eyes cracked open. “Let me be with Tsukasa. Please…”

“Tsukasa is alive in the infirmary,” Andy answered. “So you need to live if you want to be with him.”

“He’s alive? I thought…”

“I healed and revived him,” she informed. 

He let out a relieved sob, his arms wrapping around Andy in a tight hug. “I was sure he was past saving. That’s why I took the damage from the grenades. I wanted to be with him.”

Andy hugged back, “Let’s get you to the infirmary so you can see him, okay?” She turned and gave Tet a small smile before teleporting herself and Daiki to the infirmary. She lifted him and placed him in the bed next to Tsukasa.

“Tell me he’s alright...” There was a note of panic in the dragon’s voice as he looked at the vampire’s burnt clothing.

“He had a lot of damage but he should be alright now,” Andy nodded.

The dragon exhaled sharply, then gave her a grateful smile.

“You can’t let me go, can you?” Kiba’s voice was angry. “You’d rather I be taken than let me die on my own terms, is that it?”

Andy turned and stared at him, tears filling her eyes, “I... I just wanted to save you..”

“Save me for what? Vivisection? Or maybe another bout of mind control..or another shift.” He snarled as he sat up.

“I told you we wouldn’t let you get taken..” She looked down, “We’ll fight off anyone else who comes after you, but we already took care of your uncle and the people he tried to bring after you now..” She turned away from him, tears streaking her face. 

He froze. “Are you alright?” His voice had gone soft, almost inaudible.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered before heading out of the infirmary.

Kiba gave an anguished whimper, then bolted out of the infirmary. He ran for the bunker, sliding down the ladder and locking the door behind him. He crawled into a corner, laid his head on his knees and began to sob.

Andy laid on their bed, crying and wondering if Kiba was right. Would she be able to keep everyone from him? Was she just being selfish by keeping him alive? All she wanted to do was protect him, but he was just angry that she kept him alive…

After a few hours, Kiba raised his head and sighed. He knew what he had to do now. He pushed himself to his feet and unlocked the bunker. He went into the base, entering his brother’s office and sitting at the desk. He pulled a pad of paper close and began to write.

Ten minutes later, he stood. He looked around sadly, then exited the room. He walked out the base exit without looking back.

An hour later, Tsukasa entered the office. He sat down, then saw the letter. His eyes went wide, then he ran for Andy’s room. He knocked frantically on the door. 

“It’s open,” she yelled as she pushed herself up and wiped at her eyes.

“Andy, he left!” Tsukasa thrust the paper into her hand. “He resigned..”

Andy stared at the paper numbly, “He got mad when I interfered before so what do you want me to do about it?”

“Andy..” Tsukasa sighed, his shoulders slumping. “You’re right. He’s a lost cause, isn’t he? Why should I worry about someone who doesn’t care? Why did I even bother rescuing him in the first place. My uncle was right.” He turned away, crumpling the paper and dropping it. “Sorry for bothering you.”

Andy sighed, “I’m sorry, I’m just sick of helping people who don’t seem to want it.” She took a deep breath, tears in her eyes. “I’ll go find him...”

“Don’t bother. He wants to be selfish, let him.” The dragon took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and walked away.

Andy stared at the paper on the floor for a minute before sighing and saying the teleportation spell as she focused on Kiba.

The wolf skidded to a halt as she appeared in front of him. “ _ Go away. I refuse to hurt anyone anymore. _ ”

“Hurting anyone? You’re hurting us by leaving you dumbass!” Tears streaked her cheeks, “All I wanted to do is protect you because I love you. I came to apologize if I overstepped my bounds and brought you back against your will. Maybe I was just being selfish.”

“ _ I’m trying to protect all of you.. All I have to do is stay shifted. Then they won’t want me anymore. You, Saka, Tet.. will all be safe. _ ”

“We don’t care about being safe! We care about you and being with you! We wouldn’t have done what we did unless we wanted to stay with you..” Her shoulders sagged, “I need you..”

“ _ Why? I’m nothing but a needy fucked up shifter who relies on other people to fight his battles. I’m the last person you should want..” _ The wolf whimpered, swaying on his feet.

“I love you.. We love you. We know you can fight your own battles, but we want to help you because we care..” She said quietly.

“ _ I’m sorry.. _ ” The wolf looked at her before shakily approaching and nuzzling her hand. “ _ Stay with me? Just till it’s over? _ ”

“Why don’t you come back to the base?” she asked softly, wiping at her eyes.

“ _ Too...weak.. _ ” The wolf toppled onto its side, panting heavily.

Andy focused light over him, surrounding him in silver. She knew she was still weak from helping Daiki but she hoped she had enough power to help him.

“ _ Andy..I’ve been shifted too long. My body can’t handle it.. _ ” The wolf looked at her with sad eyes. “ _ Just hold me? _ ”

She wrapped her arms around him, “Can’t you unshift?”

“ _ I took a drug that prevents it..I didn’t think anyone would come after me.. _ ”

Andy sighed, “Just wait. I’m going to take care of you, okay?” She teleported him into the infirmary and got a counteragent for the drug he took. She injected it into him before hugging him again.

He convulsed, then reverted. He was hyperventilating, his body shaking.

“Take deep breaths,” she said softly, holding him tight. “I love you.”

“Hurts..I love you too. I didn’t mean what I said earlier. I know you weren’t saving me for that..”

“I don’t know.. Maybe I am just being selfish by keeping you alive..” She closed her eyes. 

“Even if you are, you were doing it out of love. Not a desire for me to be taken. I had no right to accuse you of that.” He was quiet for a moment, working on calming his breathing. Then he spoke again, his voice sad. “My brother hates me now, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t think he could ever hate you,” Andy sighed. “I better go talk to him though...” She kissed Kiba’s forehead before moving away and heading out of the infirmary. She went to Tsukasa’s office and knocked on the door. 

“Come in.”

Andy entered quietly, not meeting his eyes, “I’m sorry for what I said. I was just upset. Kiba’s in the infirmary if you want to see him. He’s afraid you hate him..” She sighed and turned to leave. “Just thought you should know.”

“Hate him? No. But he’s no longer under my command. He made it perfectly clear he doesn’t want to be here.” Tsukasa shrugged. “If you want him to stay, he can be your dependent.”

Andy sighed and turned back toward him, “He only left to try to protect us. I know he wants to be here. But I understand your position.” She headed back to the door. 

“This isn’t the first time he’s resigned. Hell, it isn’t the first time he’s run. I just don’t want to worry if I can depend on him or if he’s going to disappear. My heart can’t take it..”

Andy was quiet a moment before speaking, “I know. But I also know he needs us.” She took a deep breath, “You don’t even know how many times you guys have almost lost me, but someone always comes to stop me and help. We need to be that for Kiba, even if it hurts.”

He sighed, dropping his eyes. “I love him. He’s my brother. Why can’t he just talk to me? I’ve been there ever since I found him. I’ve always fought Branch and the bosses tooth and claw to keep him safe. But it’s like he can’t trust me to protect him. I don’t know how to get him to understand I’m not leaving.”

“I’ve put my career, even my own life on the line for him and he still acts like he’s all alone. Maybe I should give him what he wants…”

“He’s been through unbelievable trauma with Branch. Being alone is what he knows, that doesn’t mean he likes it. It’s hard after going through stuff like that to trust and open up to others. Sometimes it seems easier to just go off on our own even if it’s really not. He needs people who care about him to be there for him. But I understand if it’s too much for you.”

Tsukasa sighed again, laying his head on the desk. “Life is too much for me lately. The bosses offered me retirement again..”

“Maybe you should take it. You deserve time away from all of this craziness.” She was quiet a moment before adding, “You know I’m always here to talk to. I know I have a lot of my own problems going on most of the time but I’m willing to listen and try to help.”

He huffed. “I’d probably have a heart attack from imagining what could be happening with another leader. And your problems are why I don’t want to burden you with mine.”

Andy gave a small chuckle, “Focusing on someone else's problems gets me away from mine for a while.”

He raised his head. “I know this might sound weird, but I need a hug. My head is so jumbled..”

She gave him a soft smile before moving to him and wrapping her arms around him. “I’m always here for hugs too.”

He laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. “I’m tired. I just want to do my job and not worry about jerks deciding what is best for my people.”

“I know. Maybe you need a vacation? I’m sure we can manage for a while while you take a break and get your head together.”

“Tell that to the bosses. They’re more interested in getting me out of here, I think. They’ve been pushing the retirement idea for a while now. Call me paranoid, but it feels like they have plans for us..”

“Seems like something they’d do..” Andy sighed. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He sat up quickly, picking up Kiba’s letter. He shot a blast of fire at it, dropping it in the trash can as it burned. “This never happened. But tell him if he does this again, he stays gone.”

“You should talk to him and tell him how you feel,” Andy answered. 

“Afraid I might hit him. That would probably drive him away further.” He ran a hand through his hair, then opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle.

Andy sighed, shaking her head, “Guess I’ll talk to him for you.”

“Much better idea. If he wants to yell at me for anything, my door’s open.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Let me know if you need anything.” She headed out of the office.

Tet met her near the infirmary. “What the hell happened to him? I know I took a while with the paperwork, but I didn’t remember him looking that bad.”

“Kiba? He ran away, took something to stay shifted, and got worn out from it. He should be alright now.”

“He stayed shifted?! How long?” Tet’s voice was alarmed.

“I don’t know. I kinda lost track of time,” she sighed. “He was pretty bad when I found him.”

“Remember a long time ago when I told you he had a bad reaction when he became a shifter? Branch used to make us stay shifted to see how long before we went into cardiac arrest. I can go 24 hours before I get bad. He can go two hours at most. He wasn’t worn out, he was dying.”

Andy sighed, “Well, hopefully he’ll be alright now..”

Tet wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be jumping down your throat.”

She shrugged, “It’s alright.”

He kissed her head, then released her. “I’m going to take a nap. See you later?”

Andy nodded before opening the infirmary door, heading to go talk to Kiba.

He looked up at her, frowning at her expression. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, “Just been talking to Tsukasa. He’s really stressed. He says he loves you though and you better not try leaving again.”

Kiba’s lips quirked. “I better listen then huh? How bad is it? Prank war stressed or Seltain stressed?”

“Sick of people trying to control his team level of stress. Not quite up to Seltain level but he’s pretty bad.”

“Shit. And then I do this. I am an idiot, aren’t I? Tet told me what happened. He really shot himself because of their threats?”

“Saka? Yeah, he didn’t want to lose you again.”

His eyes began to tear up. “And I repaid him by running away  _ again _ . I’m such a shit brother.”

“You should talk to him. I know you two love each other and that’s the important part.”

“I’m not used to talking, if you haven’t realized. Even with Tet, it was more physical than talking. And how can I tell him about Branch? I try not to think about it, otherwise I’d be in a continuous panic attack.” He sighed and shook his head.

“Alright,” she said softly. “Well, you know I’m always here to talk if you ever need or want it. I love you.”

He gave her a soft smile. “I love you too. Can I get out of here?”

Andy yawned, “Sure. Tet’s taking a nap. Why don’t we join him?”

“Best idea I’ve heard.” He sat up, then swayed. “I should have known better than to do that stunt. You’d think I’d have learned after Branch’s experiments.”

Andy chuckled and shook her head, “Hold on.” She took his hand and teleported them to their room.

He grinned at her, then crawled into bed beside Tet and closed his eyes.

Andy climbed in next, wrapping her arm around him and holding him close.


	55. Chapter 55

Andy smiled over at her twin, “I’m glad we got this day away from the base.”

“You  _ have  _ been pretty busy lately,” Arie admitted before taking a bite of ice cream. 

“So we’ve hit the ice cream shop for Arie, what do we wanna do next?” Andy glanced at Jun.

He looked thoughtful. “Lets go to the bookstore.”

Andy nodded and headed for her car. She frowned when she saw someone leaning on it. 

“Excuse me?” Andy looked at the man.

The man looked up at her before nodding to someone she couldn’t see. Soon, they were surrounded. 

Arie looked around in confusion, backing up to Andy. 

Andy growled at them, “What do you want?”

“You, of course,” the man smirked before he reached out and grabbed her. She tried kicking him off but when that didn’t work she tried a spell.

He dropped to the ground quickly. 

Jun scowled, muttering a spell and encasing several in vines. He looked at the women and asked “Maybe we should leave the car for now. Teleport back to base?”

They nodded and started the teleportation spell. Andy felt something hard connect with her head, knocking her to the ground and making her vision swim. 

Arie turned quickly, blocking a hit before muttering another spell.

One of the men muttered a spell in response, ropes suddenly appearing and beginning to wrap around the three witches.

Jun fought until another spell knocked him unconscious.

Arie struggled against the ropes, unable to free herself. A spell hit her and she collapsed to the ground.

Andy had trouble even seeing what was happening but she tried to fight back the best she could. Soon, though, she felt another hit and she was out.

  
  


Andy woke, scientists above her. Her mind tried to make sense of it all, knowing Branch had been taken down. She wondered if they were back up and running as she began to fight the ties. She felt the prick of a needle and was soon swallowed by the darkness again.

Jun awoke in a cylinder, scientists staring at him. He tried to move but his body wouldn’t respond. He could feel things taped to his body, but couldn’t look down to see. He heard a whirring noise, then the world became filled with agony.

Arie’s eyes fluttered open, finding herself strapped to a chair. She had multiple machines attached to her and she looked around trying to figure out what they were doing. She glanced quickly, hoping to spot her twin, but found white coated scientists instead. One of them approached her and slipped a mask on her face and within seconds she was out.

Tet and Kiba were getting angrier by the minute as they waited for Ryusei’s search to be completed.

Finally, he waved them over. “Their signals are really weak, but I’ve managed to get a rough idea of where they are. Not exact, mind you. You’ll have to look around to nail the location down. But it’s more than we had.”

Tet nodded as Kiba growled. “Let’s go.” They teleported near a set of buildings and started looking.

  
  


Andy woke again, letting out a scream of pain at whatever the scientists injected her with. They continued to watch her, jotting notes down before injecting her with more brightly colored liquids.

Jun struggled to consciousness, hearing the scientists talking. He was so tired, if he just went to sleep, maybe this would be a bad dream.

“Increase the output to 75% and give him more of the solution.”

A hand came into view and he felt the pinch of the needle, then heard the whirring again. He tried to prepare himself, but the pain washed over him and he screamed.

Arie woke feeling weird, unable to open her eyes. She heard people talking all around her but she couldn’t understand or respond. She gave a silent prayer that Andy and Jun weren’t being hurt too badly.

Tet froze as he heard faint screams from the building in front of them. Looking at Kiba revealed he had heard them too and they nodded in unison before breaking down the door and charging in. The tiger shifted, roaring in fury as he saw white coats frozen in fear. He charged for them, slashing with his claws.

Kiba howled, then leapt for a white coat’s throat. After taking it down, he looked around and saw stairs leading underground. He reverted, getting Tet’s attention. “Going down.”

The tiger nodded, then Tet was joining him in creeping down the stairs. They froze as the horror was revealed.

Andy was strapped to a table, writhing in pain as they injected her with even more solutions. Arie was tied to a chair, still hooked to multiple machines.

They could see a weird cylinder with white coats gathered around it, a blue glow coming from within.

Tet fired his pistol in the air. “All of you bastards get by the wall!”

Most of them did as told, a few continuing to stand and take notes.

Kiba’s face went stony and he yanked the scientists over to join the others.

Tet went to Andy’s side, ripping off the restraints. “Darlin? Can you hear me?” 

Andy’s eyes snapped to him as her body continued to move in pain.

He gently lifted her off the table, then muttered the teleport spell. When he arrived in the infirmary he looked at Akasa. “Take care of her.” Then he returned to the building.

Kiba was trying to get Arie free unsuccessfully.

Arie weakly opened her eyes, “Kiba..?”

“Hi. Just relax, you’ll be safe in no time,okay?” He finally just punched the machines until they broke, then pulled out the IVs and tore the restraints loose. He carefully took her in his arms and disappeared, leaving her in the infirmary. 

When he returned, Tet was aiming his pistol at one of the scientists. “Turn it off now. What the fuck did you do to him?”

“Testing how much power could be channeled through him,” the one answered before moving to shut the machine off.

Tet struggled not to shoot, knowing he needed them to free Jun. But after that...

The scientist pressed a button, the cylinder lifting.

Jun lay there, his chest rising erratically. His skin was as pale as the sheets and Tet wondered how he was still alive.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“The Testing Bureau,” one scientist spoke up nervously.

Tet and Kiba exchanged glances. “Not Branch?”

“We’re like Branch in many ways and our founders looked up to Branch, but we aren’t military related.”

Tet snarled. “Unless you want to be just as dead, you will forget we exist. Understood?”

Many nodded quickly but one spoke, “Our founders have targeted your squad, specifically that necromancer Branch loved to experiment on, because of all the trouble she caused Branch. Even if you kill us, you’d have to find the founders to fully stop the Testing Bureau.”

“You think you guys are harder than Branch?” Kiba snarled. “We decimated them. I doubt they even have one living member left. We can do the same to you.”

“And we will, to protect her.” Tet fought the rage as he looked at Jun. “Kiba, get him to Akasa and Kei. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Kiba growled, then freed Jun completely and disappeared.

Tet aimed his gun and began firing.

  
  


Arie laid on one of the beds, resting. 

Andy continued to struggle with the pain, though Akasa had given her pain medicine. She had too many drugs in her system and she had to just ride the rest of the pain out until the drugs left her.

Kei appeared by her side, placing a hand on her chest and letting green light flow into her.

Her movements began to slow, her body sagging with exhaustion.

“Sleep, Andy. We’ll be here when you wake.” The earthwitch looked up as Kiba appeared with Jun. “Lay him down and I’ll look at him after I get her down.”

Andy struggled to look over, “Jun? Is he okay?”

Kiba didn’t answer, laying the witch on a nearby bed. He turned as Tet appeared, his gun dangling from one hand and blood spattering his clothes. “Dammit, Tet.”

He quickly checked the tiger over after taking the empty gun away. Concluding none of the blood was his, Kiba waved a hand in front of Tet’s face. “Hey, you in there?”

Tet jerked, then nodded slowly. “Gonna take a shower.” He walked out the door quietly as Kiba sighed and turned back to Andy.

Andy was trying to push herself up, wanting to check Jun over.

Kei and Akasa held her down. “You need to rest. We’ll take care of him.”

“But..” Andy said tiredly, her head falling back against the pillow.

“But nothing. You aren’t any good to anyone if you can’t stand or see straight. You have to rest and recover.” Akasa glared at her. “I  **will** use a sleep spell if you don’t stop.”

Andy nodded slowly, closing her eyes. Within moments, her eyes shot open again and she was breathing heavily.

“Sleep spell it is.” Akasa began reciting as Kei moved over to Jun. 

Andy soon passed out. She slept calmly for a while before she began struggling with nightmares. She whimpered slightly and tears started streaking her face.

Kiba cursed, wrapping his arms around her and starting to rock her gently. “Andy, you’re safe now.”

Her eyes cracked open slightly and she looked at him, “Thank you. For helping me and saving me,” she said quietly.

“Like I have a choice? Tet would murder me if I didn’t.” Kiba tried to joke, but his eyes remained worried.

“It was so much like Branch..” 

“They can’t hurt you anymore. Tet made sure of that. You just need to rest.”

Andy nodded slowly as her eyes slipped shut again and she fell back to sleep in his arms.

Kiba sighed, laying her down gently and leaving the infirmary. One crisis averted, now he just had to find Tet. He headed for their shared room, praying that everything was alright.

The prayer went unanswered as he entered to hear the shower still running. He cursed, racing inside to find Tet, blue and unresponsive under the spray. He dragged him out, wrapping him in thick towels before checking for a pulse.

He said a silent thanks as he found one, slow but steady. He reached for his radio. “Akasa, I could use some help in our room. Tet’s collapsed.”

Arie woke a while later, looking around the infirmary. She frowned, seeing her twin asleep. She looked over at Akasa in confusion, “What happened..?”

He moved over to her. “Tet and Kiba rescued you three. Andy’s fine, just resting. You’ve been out for a while. I don’t know everything they gave you, but you’re not dying. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“And Jun and Tet? How are they?” She glanced at the other beds.

“Tet shows evidence of a strong energy blast. No one knows what happened, since he stayed behind to deal with your kidnappers. He came back and Kiba found him unresponsive in the shower. He’s stable for now.” Akasa dropped his eyes as he continued. “Jun is dying. Both Kei and I have done all we can. Whatever they did to him.. We can’t fix it.”

Arie pushed herself off the bed, going to Jun’s side. She focused energy into him, hoping to heal whatever the problem was.

“Arie..” Kei gently touched her arm. “They shorted him out. They channeled so much power through him for such a long time, his entire body is failing. You need to rest.”

She shook her head, “I need to try helping him. It’s what Andy would do if she was awake.”

Kei exchanged looks with Akasa. “True twins, huh?”

Arie went back to focusing, pouring her energy into Jun.

He jerked, his breathing increasing rapidly. His skin began returning to its natural color as his heart stabilized.

Kei and Akasa watched speechlessly.

After a few more minutes, she headed over to Tet’s bed and focused energy into him as well.

Tet’s eyes blinked open dazedly. “Arie? What’s going on?”

“Just healing you up,” she said quietly. “You passed out in the shower apparently.”

He paused, then realization dawned. “That blast..I didn’t pay attention cause it didn’t do anything..”

“Well, you should be alright now,” she gave him a small smile before going back to her bed and sitting down.

Tet slowly sat up, his eyes on Andy. “Is she okay?”

Akasa nodded. “Just exhaustion, as far as I can tell.”

Tet nodded, then laid back as the room spun. His eyes slipped closed.

Andy woke up quickly, looking around the room and finally relaxing when she realized she was in the infirmary.

Akasa gave her a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit better,” she admitted. “Still kind of tired but better than writhing in pain.”

“I bet. I didn’t find anything wrong once you calmed down. So either they didn’t do anything or it didn’t work.” He gave Arie’s bed an exasperated look. “I think she’s more stubborn than you.”

Andy chuckled softly, “Could be. Why though?”

“She insisted on bringing Jun back from death’s door, then wore herself out even more by healing Tet.”

“Are they alright?”

“Tet’s sleeping. Jun isn’t a hundred percent, but he’s improving and stable. You’ve got to get Tet to stop hiding things. If Kiba hadn’t gone looking for him, he would have died.”

She nodded slowly in response. She finally pushed herself up and moved to the chair next to Tet. 

A few moments later, his eyes opened and focused on her. “Are you alright, darlin?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered quietly.

He gave her a bright smile. “I’m glad. You don’t have to worry about them anymore. I killed all of them and destroyed that place.”

“Thank you.” 

“And you almost died again in the process. You were damn lucky.” Akasa snorted.

Tet rolled his eyes. “I already told you why I didn’t say anything. Stop bitching at me.”

Andy shook her head at them before yawning.

“Our room?” Tet sat up and gave her another smile.

She nodded, standing and waiting for him.

He slid off the bed, taking her hand and leading her out of the infirmary.


	56. Chapter 56

“You can’t just leave! You have to fight this!” Kiba yelled in the hallway, a chorus of agreement behind his words.

Andy came down the hall, raising an eyebrow to the group. “What’s going on?”

“My idiot brother thinks he’s leaving.” Kiba replied, glaring at Tsukasa.

The dragon was carrying a large duffle bag, his jacket slung over the other arm. “Orders are orders. Now move.”

“Wait.. are they forcing you to retire?” Andy looked only a little surprised. 

“Yeah.” Tsukasa placed the duffle on the floor and ran a hand through his hair. “Said I wasn’t fit to command due to the strain. Effective immediately. The new CO is already on his way.”

Kiba scowled. “They just want you out.”

Tsukasa scowled back. “They could have dismantled us. We’re lucky they just pushed me out.”

“Do you have anywhere to go? You can always stay at my house,” Andy offered.

He smiled at her. “Thanks, but Daiki and I bought a place nearby. I’ll be fine..I think.” He dropped his jacket and embraced her. “Keep the boys out of trouble, okay?” He whispered softly.

“Of course,” she hugged him tightly. 

He pulled back, then wrapped his arms around Kiba. The wolf nodded, tears welling in his eyes at whatever the dragon whispered, then they separated.

Tsukasa looked at the others fondly. “I have been honored to be your Boss. More than you'll ever know. And just because I’m not here doesn’t mean you can slack off. At least, not more than you already do. I want you to treat your new Boss with as much respect as you did me.”

“So none at all huh?” Jade snarked, causing a ripple of laughter to run through the squad. 

Tsukasa laughed, then picked up the duffle and his jacket. He gave one final look at them, then turned and walked away without looking back.

Andy was quiet as she went to Kiba and squeezed his hand.

“It’s not fair..” The wolf buried his face in her shoulder. “The whole squad isn’t even here..”

“I know,” she hugged him tightly. “And I know it’ll take a lot of adjusting, but we’ll get through this. Plus, Tsukasa is tough, he’ll manage on his own. Maybe even finally get to relax.”

“With his personality? Not likely.” Kiba chuckled.

A car pulled up outside and he sighed. “Looks like he’s here.”

Andy looked outside, watching the man get out of the car.

He entered, his posture stiff. “Squad Zero One. Meet me in the conference room in ten.” He marched past the assembled group without another word and disappeared down the hall.

“This’ll be interesting,” Andy muttered.

Ten minutes later, the squad members at base gathered in the conference room. They exchanged nervous glances as the new CO stood.

“There will be some changes around here. Kadoya was too lax with you. I am not that way. Effective immediately, all squad members will follow regulations regarding uniforms and the hair code. Those who do not comply will be penalized. Miss Takimoto, Mr. Ando. You are to be escorted off base after collecting your things. You are not military, thus you are not welcome.”

An angry murmur began among the men.

“Miss Hiroshi, you are being returned to your country. Agent Ota, the Agency has been informed of your status and has requested your return. There will be other reassignments in the coming days. The members of the squad on mission are being disavowed as of now. Major Kadoya is now squad leader. That is all. Dismissed.” He stood and disappeared into the adjoining room as the squad erupted into chaos.

Andy was overcome by the numbness that she’d been feeling lately. She slipped out of the room silently, quickly grabbing her books from the office before throwing her things in a bag. She teleported them home along with her cat. She then teleported outside the base, giving it a final look before shifting and running into the forest. 

She knew she should have said goodbye to her friends, and especially Kiba, but she couldn’t bring herself to.

She shifted again, slithering up into a tree and curling into a ball. The thought of staying there forever crossed her mind. Arie could take care of Elsa. She’d probably be a better owner anyway..

But she could just stay in the tree, see if she had a limit to staying shifted like the others did. If she didn’t she’d slowly fade away from not eating. Either way, she wouldn’t have to keep feeling the pain or numbness. She could go to the other side with her parents.. 

The thought of ending it sooner crossed her mind, but she knew Jun would find her if she went to the cliff and she wasn’t sure who would be in the infirmary if she tried to sneak stuff from there. She then remembered the clinic and decided it was a backup. She’d stay here for a while, then go there and take something to end it. Jun wouldn’t be  _ as  _ likely to find her there. Maybe she could teleport somewhere far away. See Paris one last time…

She heard footsteps, then Kiba’s voice. “Andy? Are you here?”

When he got no response, he tried not to cry. “I know you’re hurt. Ryon has gone to speak with Katshiro about this. I can understand the reassignments, hell, I get the regulations too. But disavowing them.. I can’t take it. They’re going to die, Andy and we can’t go help without being court martialed. But I don’t know why I’m even talking. You’re not here. You left without a word. It’s okay though. We’ll be fine without you. Goodbye.”

The footsteps receded, leaving the forest quiet.

Andy’s eyes filled with tears and finally she thought out _ , “Where are they? I can find them for you.” _

_ “It doesn’t matter anymore. They’ll be shot if they return. Just..have a good life, okay. Go run your clinic and save lots of people. Don’t forget us, but don’t come back.” _

He could hear the pain and tears in her voice,  _ “Goodbye, Kiba. I hope I’ll see you on the other side one day.”  _ She teleported to the clinic and prepared a large syringe full of a mixture of sedatives and painkillers that would shut her heart down in minutes. 

“Andy! What are you doing?!” Akasa wrenched the syringe from her hands. “This is not the way to deal with this!”

“I can’t take it,” she let out a sob. “I can’t go back to my normal life and I’m not needed there anymore. I can’t handle everything I’ve been through and I’ve barely been keeping it together as is. This is just the icing on the cake, Akasa. Just let me go..”

“No! You’re needed more than ever. I can’t save them alone. I was about to call you. Yamae and Kai rescued them and brought them here. Ryon is petitioning Katshiro as we speak to reinstate Boss. You can’t give up.”

Andy was quiet, tears still streaking her face, “I’m just so tired, Akasa..”

He hugged her tight. “I know. But right now I need you to help save Tet and Ryusei. Then you can do whatever you want.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Alright.”

“Get scrubbed up. Both of them are critical and need immediate surgery.” Akasa disappeared into the surgical theatre.

Andy did as instructed before going in.

Akasa was muttering spells over a pale Tet as he operated. His eyes directed her to Ryusei’s frail form. There were multiple blood bags attached to the porter, his heart rate barely a blip on the EKG.

Andy began muttering spells as well, looking for the most damage and doing what she could to heal it. She pushed power into him, closing even more wounds up and praying his heart rate would increase.

Slowly it stabilized as did his blood pressure.

Akasa gave her a smile as he finished with Tet. “I think they’ll make it, thanks to you.”

She nodded slowly, looking down at Tet for a moment. 

_ “ANDY! Katshiro agreed. The orders are rescinded and Boss is reinstated. But he’s disappeared. Daiki went to talk to him and found their house wrecked. Signs of a struggle and..” _ Kiba’s voice was frantic.

Andy covered her face with her hands a moment, before sighing and answering,  _ “Don’t worry. I’ll find him.”  _

_ “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to burden you. We’ll take care of it.” _

_ “I’ve got it. Just stay safe on base, okay?”  _ She looked over at Akasa, “Take care of them. Apparently Tsukasa needs to be rescued...”

“You’re actually going to do it? I thought you had something else to do.” He looked at her quietly.

She sighed, “I guess that can wait a bit longer.”

He just nodded, turning away to start cleaning up. “Goodbye, I guess.”

“We’ll see,” Andy answered. “But thanks, for everything.” She focused on Tsukasa and teleported to his location.

She found herself inside an operating room. Several scientists stood huddled over a table, until one spied her and yelled.

She shifted into panther form, clawing into the scientists quickly.

They crumpled into a pile, blood streaking the floor.

Andy reverted, going to the table and looking at Tsukasa.

He’d been dissected, his chest opened like a box. She could see a bloody hole where his heart had been removed, the organ lying on a scale.

Andy spent hours replacing his heart and healing the veins and arteries. She made sure his other organs were in the correct places before closing him up and healing the wound shut. She pushed power into him, covering him in gold light. Slowly everything else healed and she waited for any signs of life. She increased the power, praying it would work.

He lay still, his face peaceful.

Andy paused, wondering if she was doing the right thing. But she knew Kiba and Daiki would be upset if Tsukasa wasn’t brought back alive, so she went back to trying to revive him. She forced even more power into him to the point she could feel the exhaustion. 

He suddenly inhaled sharply, dazed eyes staring at her. “Andy? How? Why?...”

“Katshiro fixed everything. You have a squad to get to.” 

He stared at her in shock. “But..there’s a new CO.”

Andy shrugged, “Kiba said you’re reinstated.” 

He pushed himself up very slowly. “I guess I have more of a debt to you now. I can’t repay you for this. You didn’t have to.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she said quietly. “I’m going to teleport you to the base infirmary, okay?”

He gave her a tired nod.

Andy focused and recited a spell, Tsukasa vanishing before her and reappearing on an infirmary bed.  _ “Kiba, Boss is safe in the infirmary now.” _ She began looking around, trying to see if she could find any information on who took Tsukasa in case they ever went after him again.

A logo that read the  **Testing Bureau** met her eyes.

_ “Some group called the Testing Bureau are the ones that got a hold of him. You might want to watch for them in the future.”  _ She thought to Kiba before exiting the building and saying a few different spells to demolish the building. Fire burned heavily and she stood there a while watching it. 

_ “First you, now him..”  _ Ryon’s voice answered.  _ “Are you safe?” _

_ “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” _

_ “Just don’t want to go to your funeral too.” _

Her eyes narrowed, “ _ What do you mean ‘too’?” _

_ “There’s been a couple of incidents. The new asshole sold us out.” _

She sighed, “Get them to the infirmary. I’ll do what I can for them.”

_ “Don’t force yourself. Just stay safe.”  _ His voice was quiet.

“ _ I’ll do what I can to help while I can. Get them ready, I’ll be there soon.” _

There was no answer.

She stared at the fire a bit longer before teleporting to the infirmary.

Tsukasa lay sleeping on one of the beds, several others covered. Otherwise, the room was empty.

Andy went to the beds and uncovered them, looking to see who was all there.

Etsuko had been shot once in the head, Kei multiple times. Yuki was bloodless, deep slashes in his arms as well as charring.

Andy setup transfusions before focusing on all of them, covering them in the gold light.

Etsuko and Kei sucked in air, but Yuki stayed motionless.

Andy continued focusing on him, pushing harder. She said a begging prayer to bring him back. 

Finally his chest rose. 

Andy gave a sigh of relief before glancing out into the hallway, seeing if anyone was around. 

Ryon looked surprised as he approached. “Didn’t I tell you not to come?”

She shrugged, “I was just about to leave if you guys don’t need anyone else revived.”

“Kiba’s dead. At least that’s what the asshole reported before he left. Don’t know where he was. He’d followed the asshole to a meeting with those Bureau people. He told me he saw a payoff, then the link snapped.” Ryon shook his head. “But don’t concern yourself with our problems. You have a life to return to, don’t you?”

She looked down and spoke quietly, “The only thing I have to return to is a cocktail of medicine in a syringe. I can put that off a bit longer to help you guys.”

“Running away again. I thought you’d quit that. But I guess I shouldn’t expect you to stay. You aren’t military. It doesn’t matter what we’ve gone through together.” He looked at the breathing forms on the bed. “Though I do appreciate the save. The new CO lied. Etsuko made contact with one of her countrymen. Kei said he was going with her. We found them in a dumpster at the airport. Yuki barely made it off base before the Agency killed him and left him by the front gate.”

Andy shook her head, tears in her eyes, unsure what to say.

“Just go. Go end it because you sure as hell don’t give a damn about all of us. I’d say have a nice life, but you know, that's not in your plans. Maybe we’ll be together as a family again after we all die. Do the dead hold anger, I wonder?” Ryon’s voice was hard, his jaw clenching as he fought tears.

“You think I don’t care about you guys? The reason I’ve stayed alive this long is because of you. I’m just so tired of all the pain and suffering and kidnappings,” she sobbed, backing away from him. “I love you guys so much I couldn’t even handle saying goodbye..” she slid down the wall, curling in on herself as she continued to cry.

“We needed you! But as soon as the meeting ended, you were gone...Ryu..he’s dead because of that asshole and I needed you! But no one could find you. Then Kiba said you told him you’d see him on the other side. And I’m supposed to believe you care?” The tears began falling down his cheeks as he sat down and put his head in his hands.

“Ryu and Tet are alive at the clinic. Akasa is with them,” Andy said numbly as she tried to push herself up. “But you’re right, I let you all down and I can’t ever apologize enough for that. It’d be better if I’m not here to ever let you down again..” she straightened out, “I’ll go and stop bothering you.” She started the teleportation spell.

He grabbed her arm. “Do something for me before you go?”

“What?”

“Kill me. I don’t want to be in this world without you. I’m more tired than you are. Just end my life.” His eyes were hollow and desperate. “I even made it easy.” He pulled out a syringe and pressed it into her hand. “Just inject me.”

Tears streaked her face and she sobbed again, “Why? I’m just a doctor who keeps you guys alive. I’m just an experiment for Branch to play with. I’m no one important. So why..?”

“You brought people we thought were dead back to us. You fought Branch so we would be free. You heal us more than just in body. And if you’re gone...what’s left for us to fight for?” He took the syringe and stabbed it into his arm. “Just push it down,  _ please _ ..I’d rather die by your hand than a world that hates us.”

Andy knelt beside him and removed the syringe. “I can’t kill you, Ryon. And if staying alive is the only way to keep you guys alive, then I’ll keep living, alright?” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. 

“For how long though? How long before it gets to be too much again?” He hung his head, then yanked the syringe away and injected it. He sank into her arms. “Better this way…” 

Andy quickly got up and got a counteragent and injected him with it. “I’ll do better. I’ll go see a counselor or something.. because I’ll do anything for you guys, even if it means living with all this pain.” 

“No one will believe you..” He said weakly. “We don’t want to force you to live.. You deserve peace more than we do..”

“I’ll stay, okay? Just stay with me.” She forced energy into him to make sure the counteragent was working.

“I don’t want to..”

“Ryon, please. I can barely handle life as is, I definitely can’t handle it without you.”

He searched her face. “You’re not lying?”

“I’ve never lied to you before, have I?”

“There’s always a first time..” He tried to joke.

She gave a small chuckle, “I’m sorry for all of this..”

“Not as much as I am.” He winced as he tried to sit up.

“RYON!” Yamae threw himself down beside them. “What did you  _ do _ ?”

“It’s my fault,” Andy said quietly. “Don’t worry, he should be okay though.”

“It’s my own fault. I won’t have you taking the blame.” He tried to smile at his brother despite his heavy eyes. “It’s alright. Did you find Kiba?”

Yamae hung his head. “Yeah, I found him.”

“Bring him in here. I’ll see what I can do,” Andy said quietly before moving to stand. She lifted Ryon and gently placed him on a bed.

Yamae wouldn’t meet her eyes. “He’s kinda hard to get to..”

Andy glanced at him, “What do you mean?”

“I mean..” His voice became inaudible.

“Yamae, talk so I can hear you,” Andy begged. “Please tell me what happened..”

“They cut him up…” Yamae squeezed his eyes closed and began to shake.

Andy took a deep breath, “Take me there?”

Yamae grabbed her arm and they vanished.

When they materialized, Yamae turned away from the sight in front of them.

Andy looked to see what Yamae had mentioned.

Kiba’s head stared at her, the stump of his neck tacky with drying blood. His torso and arms lay a few feet away, his legs nearby. Blood covered the ground.

Andy let out a horrified gasp before moving to collect the pieces. “Even if it’s just to bury him in one piece, I’m going to heal him back together. It’ll take me a while. You can go back to Ryon if you want.” 

“I shouldn’t leave. He wouldn’t if it was me.” He had tears in his eyes. “Why did he do this? Why didn’t he just shoot him?”

“I don’t know..” she said quietly before beginning to work on healing Kiba together. She spent hours rebonding the veins, arteries, bones and cartilage back together. Eventually she spoke again, “Let’s get him back and give him a transfusion. I’m not sure I can revive him, but he’s back in one piece..”

Yamae touched both of them and they appeared in the infirmary. He sat down, his eyes distant.

Andy set up the transfusion and let his body fill with blood before focusing on trying to revive him. She put a hand on his chest and pushed as much energy as she could muster into him. She prayed she was strong enough after everything else that day.

A blue light mingled with her gold, covering Kiba completely.

Andy glanced up quickly.

Jun gave her a soft smile, his hand on hers.

Kiba opened his eyes with a scream.

“Shh, it’s okay. Everything is okay,” Andy said softly.

“They said...they said you were next…” He shook uncontrollably. “They said they were going to cut you into tiny pieces so you couldn’t…”

“Everything is alright. We’re alive and we can fight them when the time comes. Just relax.”

He struggled to focus on her. “I can’t let them hurt you…”

“It’s alright. We can fight them another day. For now you need to rest.”

He lost consciousness as her phone rang.

She took a deep breath and answered it, “Hello?”

“Did you find him yet?” The CO’s voice was mocking.

Her eyes darkened, “What do you want?”

“Will everything fit in a single coffin? He was a real fighter. We tried to take our time, but he wouldn’t stop fighting. At least, not until we cut off his head.. I even audio taped it. Would you like to hear it?”

Andy growled, “Why are you doing this?”

“You brought down Branch. You have to pay. Don’t worry, you’ll join him soon. Once we’re finished with the rest of your squad, we’ll pay you a visit. That clinic is quite undefended, isn’t it? I’ll send you a copy of the tape. You can play it at the funeral.” He laughed, then disconnected.

Andy stared at the phone for a few moments, her hand clenched around it. Then she teleported to the clinic, praying Akasa and the others were still alive.

Broken glass crunched under her feet. There were two bodies in the hall in front of the recovery room. She knelt beside them and checked them over.

The first one she didn’t recognize. He had several snake bites, his eyes frozen in pain.

“I..stopped him. Tet..Ryu are safe.” Akasa’s voice was wheezy, blood bubbling from his chest from a deep stab wound. “I finally defended them.. Are you proud of me?...”

“I’m always proud of you,” she said softly as she pushed energy into him. “Where are Tet and Ryu?”

“I..sent them home.” He gave her a small smile, then his head fell to the side.

She worked on healing him, teleporting him to the infirmary. She set up a transfusion and healed his wounds up before collapsing into a chair next to him.

Tsukasa knelt in front of her. “Are you alright? Tet and Ryusei appeared out of nowhere.”

“It’s just been a really long day..” Andy admitted. “And we’re going to have more trouble in the near future..”

“Damn it. You get some rest. If anything happens, let Jun and Kei handle it.”

She nodded slowly, looking around the infirmary to see who all was in there.

Tet, Ryusei and Kiba were unconscious, the others nowhere to be seen.

Tsukasa saw her look. “They’re awake and mad as hell.”

“At the CO, the Testing Bureau, or me?” She asked quietly.

“Why would they be mad at you? You revived them after they were betrayed. Everyone was worried they had gotten to you.”

“Because I almost killed myself..”

“The only ones that know about that are Kiba and Ryon. The others just know you left the base after being fired. And after what Ryon told me, he won’t be telling them.”

“He was mad at me for leaving... Are the others?”

“No. They were mad at that asshole for firing you. If you hadn’t left, he may have forced you to leave with the Bureau.”

She nodded, “He says they’re coming after all of you before taking me.. All because we took down Branch..”

He gave her a feral smile. “Let them come. I haven’t toasted bad guys in a while.” He looked at Kiba. “I tried to find out why he was in here, but Ryon wouldn’t answer me.” 

Andy looked down, “He was bad... Probably one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. I’m surprised we managed to bring him back honestly.. it was the CO..” 

He sighed. “I guess it's better I don’t know. You would probably have to chase me down while I rampaged through HQ looking for him.”

Andy nodded. “Yeah.”

Tsukasa rose to his feet. “You rest. We’ll stay on the lookout. Nobody is taking you from us while we still breathe. We didn’t let Branch, we won’t let these wannabes.”

Andy moved from the chair, crawling into one of the empty infirmary beds. She fell asleep quickly, the exhaustion from the day getting to her.

Two sets of arms wrapping around her brought her awake.

She jolted up, unsure what was happening.

Tet and Kiba drew back, looking embarrassed.

“Sorry darlin.” Tet gave her a soft smile. “I just had to..”

Kiba moved back to his bed silently. He faced away from her, staring at the wall.

“I’m sorry,” Andy said quietly.

“I’m glad you’re safe. I thought I’d never see you alive again.”

“I’m sorry for everything yesterday. Leaving without saying anything, then for what I did say, and what I was planning,” Andy said to Kiba.

His shoulders shrugged silently.

Tet looked between the two of them in confusion. “Darlin? Something I should know?”

She hung her head, “I left after the meeting with the CO without saying anything to anyone. I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye. Then.. Kiba and I were talking and I told him I hoped to see him on the other side.. because I was planning to end it.”

Tet wrapped his arms around her again. “Oh darlin. I’m sorry. It must have been so hard on you, to be fired like that. I understand not saying goodbye. Hell, you know me. I write odes to you instead of saying anything.”

“Still, I screwed up,” Andy answered quietly. 

“Nobody’s perfect.” Kiba’s voice was soft. “Look at my stupid ass and what happened.”

“I’m really glad we could bring you back.. when I saw you..” she shook her head.

“Why  _ is _ he in here?” Tet narrowed his eyes. “I’ve been trying to keep him from freaking out.”

“He was killed.. By the CO and Bureau.” she stared over at Kiba a moment before closing her eyes. 

Tet shuddered. “Let’s talk about something else. They actually retired Boss? And he  _ went _ ?”

She nodded, “Yeah. Surprisingly.”

“He that sick of us?” 

Andy shrugged with a small smile.

Yamae entered, a look of pure loathing on his face. He held a package by thumb and forefinger. “It’s addressed to you.”

Andy opened it slowly.

An audio tape with no markings fell into her hand. 

Tet frowned as Kiba went white and bolted from the infirmary.

Andy cursed, pushing herself up to go after him.

“Darlin? Are you alright?” Tet held on to her arm gently.

“We need to find him and make sure he’s okay..” she said quickly. “I can’t believe that asshole seriously sent me that.”

He nodded, helping her stand. “What is that anyway? The way he ran, you’d think it was him confessing to being a traitor or something.”

“I don’t know all what’s on it, but the CO said he recorded Kiba while they were killing him.”

Tet froze, his face morphing into a mask of rage. “I’m going to feed him to a wood chipper. Feet first. Slowly.”

“We need to make sure Kiba’s alright..”

“Yeah. You think he’s in our room? Or the bunker?”

“Let’s check our room first..”

They headed there, Tet opening the door and entering. “Furball?” He shook his head as he came out. “Nope.”

“Ok, let’s try the bunker.” Andy went outside and opened it, climbing down the stairs, “Kiba..?”

“Stay away..” His voice was raw. His silhouette was visible in the faint light.

“Kiba.. we’re just worried about you,” she said softly.

“They couldn’t just kill me...They kept me alive. The whole time he described what he was going to do when he had you.. I begged him to leave you alone. I begged him to die. I would have agreed to almost anything..” The silhouette began to shake as she heard heart wrenching sobs.

Andy approached slowly, wrapping her arms around him. “Just let it out.. You went through something really traumatic. It’s understandable for you to be upset about it.” She held him tightly, “We’re here for you.”

“I didn’t know he recorded it..he’s sick sending it to you.” He struggled to speak through the sobs. “They made sure I wouldn’t bleed out..and did it so slow I was screaming for them to hurry up. Then they took me where I guess I was found..At least the end was quick..”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she sighed. “He called me.. said he was sending it and was taunting the fact that they killed you. Told me to play it at your funeral.. I didn’t mention that I revived you.”

“He’s mine...I want to see his face. I want to torture him. He won’t ever touch you, I swear it on my life.” 

“Do I even want to know what he said they plan to do..?”

KIba shook his head rapidly. “Unh unh. I’m not telling. If you really want to know..you’ll have to listen to the tape.”

“I don’t think I can handle that,” she admitted, giving him another tight squeeze. “Do you need to cry some more or are you ready to head back inside?”

“Tet must think I’m insane.” He laid his head on her shoulder. “I’m afraid to leave. I almost hurt him because I woke up and flipped out earlier.”

“I know he’s just worried about you,” Andy said softly.

“I act so tough..but then I fall apart. I’m a joke.” He sighed as he drew back. “Maybe you had the right idea with disappearing.”

“I’m not allowed to disappear so you aren’t either.” Andy gave him a soft smile, “You are tough. Everyone has a breaking point and after the trauma you went through, it definitely would be worrying if you  _ weren’t _ a bit of a mess.”

“A bit of a mess? I probably should check myself into the white room club.” He gave a small chuckle.

“We  _ really  _ should talk to Tsukasa about getting a counselor on staff…

“They’d quit, screaming.”

“Well, I try to act as counselor for everyone else but I can’t counsel myself very well,” she chuckled softly.

“Maybe we all need to go. They could build a hospital just for us.”

She gave a small smile, “Probably. Now let’s get you back to the infirmary so you can rest some more. I’ll be right there with you, okay? And Tet will be too.”

He nodded, his eyes heavy.

Andy helped him up the stairs, leading him back inside. 

Tet was gone.

Andy frowned wondering where Tet had gone. She decided to wait a bit and see if he showed back up.

Kiba looked at her, but didn’t say anything as he laid down on a bed. His eyes closed as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Andy sat there watching him, waiting for Tet to return.

He finally came in, his steps slow. His eyes were haunted and he was visibly shaking.

Her eyes narrowed, “What did you do? Did you listen to it?”

He turned hollow eyes to her. “A wood chipper is too good for him..”

Andy sighed, wrapping her arms around him gently.

“They aren’t human. I refuse to believe they are human. No human could do that to anyone.”

Andy nodded slowly. “We’ll take care of them later. Sit down and rest for now.”

He made his way to Kiba’s side, holding one hand tight as he sat down.

Andy sighed, watching them both and hoping they could manage through everything while staying sane.


	57. Chapter 57

Andy stared at the blood as it ran down her arm with the shower water. It stung as the water hit it, but she continued, making another slice in her arm. After a few minutes of watching, she said a healing spell, closing the wounds back up. She got out and dried off, dressing before heading out of the room. 

Yuki was in the kitchen cooking when she entered. “Hungry?”

She nodded, going over to see what he was cooking.

“Sit down, you.” He turned off the stove and began to plate the food. He slid one of the plates over to her. “I wanted to say how much I appreciate what you did.”

She raised an eyebrow, “it wasn’t a problem. I care about helping you guys.”

“You had been fired. It wasn’t your job anymore. Plus, I’m not really one of the squad.” He noticed her arms and his lips tightened. “Who helps you?”

She was looking down at her food, “I consider you one of the group. And I’m a doctor, helping people is my job no matter what.” She sighed, “Different people help me. Depends on what’s going on, really. Other than Tet or Kiba, generally it’s Jun or Akasa.”

“Well, they need a kick in the ass cause obviously they’re not.” He gently pulled up one of her sleeves. “This is not a good look for you.”

Andy quickly pulled her sleeve back down, “I’m fine.”

He snorted. “Is this what it sounds like to hear yourself from a different person?”

She growled, “Look, it’s not like I’m aiming to kill myself again so it shouldn’t matter.”

He gave her a look. “I know what it’s like, Andy. Feeling so numb, the only thing that tells you you’re still breathing is the pain. Wearing long sleeves no matter the weather, hiding from people. I could probably give you lessons on it. In one way, Branch probably did me a favor. I was a mess. I was drinking way too much along with a diet of tranquilizers and amphetamines. And I had my trusty knife whenever those didn’t work. I probably would have been dismissed if Branch hadn’t grabbed me. The scars are gone now, but believe me, I looked like a reject from Frankenstein’s lab.”

Andy sighed, looking back down at her plate. “I promised them I wouldn’t attempt suicide again. It seems, for some reason, everyone here wants me to keep living, so I’m trying so hard for them... but it’s so difficult..”

“Believe me I know. My wife tried, but I would have lost her, even without Branch. I pushed away everyone’s help. I know I’m an outsider, but I have never seen a group that loves someone so much. They act like the sun won’t rise if you’re not around. All they could talk about after that meeting was ‘How dare he do that to her?’ and ‘She needs to know we won’t allow this’. I was amazed at how they immediately decided to go to Tsukasa’s boss. I mean, my boss was a good guy and I’ve met some nice doctors, but I wouldn’t have gone to bat for them and risk getting fired.”

Andy nodded slowly, unconsciously rubbing her arm.

He patted her hand softly. “You have to let them in before they can help. A knife doesn’t listen to your problems. Neither does the bottle, or anything else we idiots try in place of human contact. And you don’t want to lose that cheering section, trust me.”

“How do I tell them..?”

“Just do it. If it’s too hard, show them your arm. They’ll do the rest.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “Now eat before it gets completely cold.”

She sighed, going to eat her food. When she was done, she put her plate in the sink. “Thank you.”

“No problem. It’s only fair after you keep saving my life.”

Andy headed out of the kitchen, unsure who to talk to. Tet and Kiba were her boyfriends, but Jun helped a lot when she was feeling down. Akasa and Ryon both knew how low she got after getting fired. She weighed her options and decided to see who she’d run into. She pulled her sleeves down tightly, making sure all her cuts were covered.

Ryusei saw her and gave her a smile. “Hey. You okay?”

She sighed, “Not exactly..”

He looked at her in sympathy. “The doctor is in. Tell me what’s going on.”

She looked down, “I promised Ryon and the others I wouldn’t try to kill myself when I get bad, but I haven’t been dealing with my emotions in the best way.. Not even emotions really, just this inescapable numbness..” She shook her head, “Sorry, this is probably more than you were expecting..”

He gave her an amused look. “I was expecting worse.” He sobered. “You’re cutting aren’t you?”

She nodded slowly.

He sighed. “Been there, done that. After my parents..you know Ryon took me in. What you don’t know is I cut constantly. I had scars everywhere. I got tired of Ryon and Yamae trying to help, I started doing it in places you wouldn’t see. Backs of my knees, my feet, even the back of my neck once.”

“How did you stop?”

“I jumped off a bridge, took Yamae with me. When I was fished out, I had an intervention. I got it through my head I wasn’t alone. Branch paid for the plastic surgery.” He shook his head. “Not a great way, huh?”

“Not really,” she gave a small smile before sighing, “What do I do?”

“You’re not alone. Stop worrying you’re a burden and start talking. We’re all here for and because of you. We want to help, but we have to know there’s a problem first. You always hide behind ‘I’m fine’s and soft smiles. You need to let us see you.”

Andy nodded slowly, still not meeting his gaze, “Can you help me tell them?” 

“Come on.” He started for Ryon’s room.

Andy followed him quietly, part of her wanting to run and hide.

He looked back at her with a knowing smile. “I can find you, you know.”

She sighed, and nodded. 

He stopped at the door, knocking quietly. When it was opened, he gave Andy a smile before speaking. “Aniki, remember the issue I had before we entered Branch?”

Ryon watched Andy’s face and nodded.

“She’s struggling. Can you help?”

Ryon gave her a soft smile. “Come in, Andy.”

Andy entered slowly, staying quiet.

Ryon closed the door and waited.

Andy carried a basket and blanket down the sandy beach, finally finding a spot and putting the blanket down. She sat on it, watching the others put their blankets and towels out and start running to the water. 

She had her bikini on under her clothes but she was still unsure about taking off her long sleeves and showing all the cuts and scars on her arms. She quietly watched the others with a small smile on her lips.

Ryusei, Ryon and Yuki were whispering in a huddle. A moment later, they ran toward her.

Andy raised an eyebrow.

Ryon pulled her to her feet as Yuki and Ryusei pulled her clothes off. “Stop hiding.” They picked her up and ran for the water.

Andy rolled her eyes, chuckling but still wishing she had her sleeves on.

“Nobody is going to judge you.” Ryusei whispered as they dropped her in the water.

“We love you.” Yuki splashed her with a grin. “Now we order you to have fun.”

She gave them a smile, splashing back.

The three of them held their chests. “She’s smiling...it’s a miracle!”

She laughed, rolling her eyes once again. She finally spotted Tet and Kiba, heading over to them slowly.

“Hey darlin. You teaching those three a lesson?” Tet gave her a smile.

She chuckled, “Not exactly.”

“You must be slipping.” Kiba gave a quiet laugh.

She laughed, swimming closer and kissing him on the cheek.

He turned his head, capturing her lips.

She kissed him hard, running a hand down his chest.

He smiled and tangled a hand in her hair as he returned the kiss.

She finally pulled away with a grin. 

He took a deep breath. “Wow…”

She chuckled softly, “Maybe we can continue that later after the beach?” She winked.

He grinned as Tet swam over and kissed them both.

Andy smiled, closing her eyes for a second to focus on the warmth of the sun. She opened them again before saying, “I love you guys.”

“Back at you darlin. How we ended up with an angel I still haven’t figured out. But I intend to enjoy it as long as possible.”

She blushed in response.

Kiba gave her a grin. “You’re adorable when you do that.”

Her face turned even more red, shaking her head. 

The men laughed, lightly splashing her. 

“Cool her off before she combusts.” Kiba joked.

Andy laughed, “You’re ridiculous.”

“You love it though.” He carefully grabbed her, pulling her close. “I am so in love with you.”

She grinned, “You’re right, and I’m in love with you.”

“Glad to hear it.” He kissed her again, then pulled away with a wince. He flexed his hand, then gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that.”

“Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing. Just a muscle spasm.”

She nodded slowly, deciding not to question it further. “Hungry?”

“Starved.” He looked over at Tet.

The tiger swam over, then looped Kiba’s arm around his shoulder and lifted the wolf to his feet. “You good?”

Kiba gave him a smile. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Andy headed out of the water, waiting on them before going to the blanket and unpacking the food. 

Kiba sat down slowly, then grabbed a sandwich. He sighed happily as he bit into it. “You are amazing.”

“Why?” She held out a sandwich to Tet, her eyes glancing at her arm, which she quickly pulled away after the sandwich was out of her hand.

Neither man said anything.

“You love us for one thing. You keep Boss from stressing and turning us crispy. You tell wizards and witches to go fuck themselves. And you don’t run screaming at our issues or lecture too much when we’re idiots.” Kiba continued without missing a beat.

She gave a small smile, “I could be lecturing forever with you two.”

“Ouch.” Tet grabbed her arm, kissing each scar softly. “You’re a hard taskmaster.”

She chuckled, watching him. She finally asked, “Are you sure you guys aren’t mad at me?”

“No. You know why?” Tet gently looked at her.

She slowly shook her head.

“Because each of these is another time of keeping your promise. Another day you kept fighting instead of running away. Another day we had you.”

She gave a soft smile, “Thank you.”

“No. Thank you. We don’t say it enough. We take you for granted and we need to stop.”

Andy looked at them with a smile, quiet and unsure what to say.

“We swear never to take you for granted again. And we’ll try not to burden you too much.” Kiba held a hand over his heart.

“You guys never burden me.”

“Liar.” Tet smiled at her.

“Well you don’t,” she argued playfully.

“If you say so.” Tet smirked.

She finally took a sandwich of her own and started eating, watching the others play on the beach.

Yuki caught her eye and gave her a grin. 

She smiled at him before taking another bite.

He yelped as Jun tackled him. Their lips met in a passionate kiss as Tet yelled “Get a room!”

Andy chuckled softly.

“They are such an embarrassment.” Kiba laughed as he kissed her.

Andy smiled, kissing him back hard. 

“My turn.” Tet kissed both of them.

Andy’s voice went quiet, “Maybe we should get a room.”

“Best suggestion I’ve heard all day.” Tet grinned.

Andy stood, packing up their basket. “The others can find their way back,” she laughed quietly before picking up the blanket.

“Let the kids have their fun. They’ll come home when they get tired.” Tet chuckled before helping Kiba to his feet. “We’re your willing slaves.”

She smirked, “Oh?”

“Your wish, our command.” Kiba kissed her softly.

She teleported them to their room, laying the basket down before pushing them onto the bed.


	58. Chapter 58

Arie entered the base, glancing around and looking for Andy. She sighed when she didn’t see her twin and started down the hall in search of her.

Ryusei turned the corner and grinned. “Arie!”

“Hey Ryusei! How are you?”

“Good. I miss your class.”

“Well, more will be starting up soon if you still have time.”

His grin got wider. “Absolutely. By the way, Andy’s in her office.” He waved as he left.

Arie headed toward the infirmary office, hoping Andy wasn’t busy.

Andy looked up from her book when Arie opened the door. She smiled, “Hey.”

“Hey, you free to hang today?”

“Yeah, I don’t have much going on,” Andy stood and grabbed her jacket. 

Arie’s eyes flashed to the bright red marks on Andy’s arms. She quickly grabbed one, “Andy.. what happened? Did you do this?”

Andy froze before pulling her arm away, “It doesn’t matter okay?”

“Of course it does! If you’re hurting yourself it’s a big problem.”

“I...”

“Why would you do something like that? That’s not a healthy way to deal with anything. I know you’ve been through a lot but I thought you were doing better than that.”

Andy’s breathing increased as she began to panic. She suddenly bolted past Arie and out of the office.

Arie took a deep breath and headed out of the office. She looked around the infirmary, freezing when she noticed a man on one of the beds. She approached slowly, trying to get a better look at him. She’d seen the pictures a hundred times, it had to be him, right? But.. he was dead.. 

She stared at him a bit longer in confusion before remembering Andy. She left the infirmary and began her search.

Tet came toward her, shaking his head. “What happened? She bolted outside like she was running for her life...”

“I noticed her cuts and brought them up..” she admitted. “I should have stayed quiet, but my worry got the better of me.”

“It’s not your fault. Knowing her, she’s in the forest. I gotta go. Go talk her down.” He gave her a smile. “Nice seeing you.”

She nodded, “You too.” She headed outside toward the forest and started yelling, “Andy?! I’m sorry! Please come back..”

She was out there for an hour, walking around and yelling until finally she spotted a familiar snake slither down from a tree. “Andy, please. I’m just worried about you..”

_ “You aren’t mad at me?” _

“Of course not. I love you and just want to make sure you get the help you need.”

_ “The others have been trying to help. It hasn’t stopped it completely but it does help.” _

“That’s good. You know you can always talk to me, right? I won’t judge you. I just want to help.”

The snake nodded slowly, slithering up and gently nudging Arie’s leg affectionately. 

Arie gave a small chuckle, “Now come on. We’re supposed to hang out today, right?”

Andy reverted, wiping at her tear filled eyes as she tried to smile.

They started heading back, walking in silence before Arie finally asked, “That man in the infirmary. Who is he?”

“Oh, that’s Yuki. I saved him from Branch. He was there for about ten years.”

Arie stopped walking, “No wonder she could never contact him.. he was never dead..”

Andy turned to look at her, “Who?”

“His wife. I met her in one of the covens I know. She’s been trying to contact him since he died.. but he never died which is why she never hears anything.”

“She’s still looking for him?”

Arie nodded, “She’s spent most of her time outside of her job trying to speak to him. She misses him.”

“He mentioned her before. We thought she’d have moved on and married by now.”

Arie shook her head, “I don’t think she’s ever getting past him.”

“We have to reunite them.”

“I have her contact information. Should we call her?”

“Let’s talk to him first? See what he wants to do. Maybe he’ll want to be the one to call her.”

Arie nodded and they continued walking, heading back to the infirmary.

“My cherie! It’s been too long.”

“Kenji!” Arie smiled at him. “I’ve missed you.”

“As have I, mon amor.” He gave her a deep kiss. “I see you two are off to cause trouble?”

“I’ve already caused enough trouble today,” Arie shot an apologetic look at Andy. “We’re hoping to reunite lost lovers.”

“Who would those be?’ He gave a look of confusion.

“Yuki and his wife,” Andy answered. 

“I know her from a coven,” Arie admitted. “She thought he died.”

Kenji pursed his lips. “But wouldn’t she have remarried? He said they’d only been married for six months and it was already rocky?”

Arie shook her head, “She never got married again. Hasn’t even dated. She just keeps trying to contact Yuki on the other side.”

“How does she feel about teeth?”

Arie raised an eyebrow.

Andy sighed, “They turned him.”

Arie nodded slowly. “I don’t know.. She still cries over him. I don’t think she’d care.”

The infirmary door opened, Yuki exiting. “Hey, thanks for letting me crash.” He paused as he saw Arie. “Maybe I got hit harder than I thought…”

Andy chuckled, “This is my twin Arie.” She then sobered, “We have something to talk to you about. Why don’t we go sit in one of the rec rooms or my office?”

Kenji gave Arie a final kiss. “Gotta go, my petite cherie. Dinner tonight?”

“Sounds good,” she smiled. 

He headed down the hall as Yuki gave Andy a look. “Should I be worried?”

“I don’t think you should worry,” she admitted before heading into her office and waiting for them.

Once he was sitting, Arie spoke, “I am part of a few different covens and have met a lot of people. One person I have become friends with joined to contact their deceased husband. She never remarried or dated. Only keeps trying to talk to him on the other side.”

“Yuki, it’s your wife. She’s been searching for your soul to talk. She misses you,” Andy summed up.

He paled, his breathing getting faster. “Ravenna...she’s looking for me?”

“Yeah. She carries your picture everywhere and constantly is trying to find you. Problem is, you’ve apparently been alive at Branch this whole time, which is why she could never contact you,” Arie admitted. “I have her number if you want to call her.”

“Why? Why does she care still?” He tried not to hyperventilate.

“She loves you.”

Andy put a hand on his arm, “Take deep breaths, it’s okay.”

“That last day, before I left...she said she’d made a mistake marrying me. Said she wanted a divorce..” His hands shook as he covered his face.

“Maybe she realized she made a mistake saying that,” Andy suggested.

“I know she cares about you,” Arie admitted. “Maybe she wants to apologize? I’ve never asked that much, all I know is she does love you.”

He stilled, then lowered his hands. “What’s her number?”

Arie looked in her phone before writing it down for him.

He gave her a slight smile as he took it. “Thank you. I’ll think it over.” He rose from the chair and left the office.

“I hope we made the right choice in telling him,” Arie sighed. 

“He deserves to know. Even if he doesn’t contact her, he deserves that chance.”

Arie nodded and sighed, “So what are we going to do today?”

“Not sure. Definitely get me off base though.”

Arie chuckled before they headed out of the office.

Jun wandered down the hall, staring at the floor. 

“Hey, Jun. We were going to go hang out. Want to join us?” Andy asked softly.

He froze, raising his head and staring at her like a deer caught in headlights.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to. We just were wondering,” Arie spoke gently. “I know the last time we went out didn’t end well..”

He sighed, then quietly nodded. He walked over to them and gave Arie a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” she gave him a small smile. “How have you been?”

“No problems.” He fidgeted anxiously, dark circles under his eyes and more pale than usual.

The sisters exchanged glances but didn’t touch on the subject. 

“Want to go to the bookstore? Maybe we’ll find something else interesting this time.”

He gave a slightly amused look. “Weird tarot cards, book of shadows, what’s next? A human skull?”

“I still need to go through that tarot deck,” Andy remembered. 

“A skull could be used in spells, you know.” Arie said quietly.

“Normally only dark ones,” Andy glanced over with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m just saying that place ends up being more a magick shop than a bookstore most of the time.” Jun chuckled.

She smiled, “Oh well, let’s look.” She led them to her car and started driving. When they arrived at the bookshop, they entered and began looking.

A pair of gold-brown eyes followed their movements from behind a mirror.

Andy searched slowly, reading the back covers of many of the books. She started making a small pile of ones that seemed interesting to her.

Arie began filling a basket, picking up most of the books she came across.

Jun made his way over, his hands full of crystals. He shook them at Andy with a silent grin.

“Those could definitely be helpful,” she smiled. She paused a minute, looking around. She sensed a pair of eyes on her but found the cashier to have his face in a book of his own. She frowned, keeping an eye out for any danger.

Jun gave her a confused look, then tensed. He moved closer to her. “Someone is watching us.”

She nodded, “Question is who?” She looked over at Arie who seemed oblivious, basket filling higher and higher.

He glanced around, then pointed quickly. “The mirror over there…”

She nodded and went to Arie, “Hey, let’s get going, alright?”

Arie looked confused but didn’t argue. They went to the cashier, still keeping an eye out. 

Suddenly a door behind her opened, a man gliding out. He moved to the cashier and touched him on the shoulder. “Get some lunch, Thomas. I’ll take care of them.”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, but she stayed quiet and watched him.

Once the cashier was gone, Arie looked confused, “Are you the owner?”

He bowed, a small smile on his lips. “I am. My name is Vasha. I welcome you, Andaka, daughter of Stephen.”

Andy now gave the confused look, “How do you know my name? Or my dad?”

“I knew him long ago. I was most upset at his passing.” Vasha began to ring up their items.

Andy nodded quietly.

Arie looked at him, “So are you a witch too?”

He nodded. “Once. I changed. Your father was trying to help me.” He named a price.

Arie paid for their items.

Andy glanced over at Jun to check on him.

He was watching Vasha with a small smile. “You haven’t changed that much, Vasha. Possibly a little quieter. Do you still drink that awful stuff you call liquor?”

Vasha chuckled. “Why, Jun? Do you want some?” His eyes danced with mischief.

Jun shook his head. “The last time I drank that, I lost a week somewhere.”

Vasha laughed, a deep musical sound that reminded Andy of a soft violin.

Andy chuckled softly.

Vasha turned his eyes to her, then produced a ring box from his pocket. He handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“A gift.” His eyes gazed into hers intently.

She opened it and looked down at the ring, “It’s beautiful. But why are you giving it to me?”

“I can no longer use it. But you can.”

She nodded slowly, taking it out of the box and slipping it on one of her fingers. “Thank you.”

He gave her a soft smile, then winced and began to move toward the door.

“Are you alright?”

“I have not been alright for a long time. But it is no matter.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

He paused to look at her. “I do not believe so..”

She frowned in response. 

He sighed. “Your father was unable to. And he tried for many years.” He clenched his jaw, holding onto a display case as a wave of pain washed over him. His knees buckled, sending him to the floor.

Andy rushed to his side, saying a spell to try to help with the pain.

He clasped the hand with the ring. “This opens the wards here..this shop is now yours.”

She opened her eyes wide, “Why me?”

“You are honorable just as your father was. I have watched you and paid attention to the stories. You are the right person.” His eyes began to slip closed as he struggled for breath. His body began to become transparent.

She stared in shock, unsure what to do except keep watching.

Jun scowled, reciting a spell that reconstituted Vasha’s body. “I am  _ not  _ letting you go. Andy, help me.”

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment before covering him in silver light.

His body sparked, his eyes remaining closed. His breathing was growing slower.

Jun focused, his light mingling with Andy’s. He cursed. “ _ That’s _ what happened? My father truly was a monster.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Arie spoke up.

“A disease spell. It negates the ability to do any type of magick as well as wastes away the body. It is extremely slow and painful.” Jun watched the unconscious wizard sadly. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, should I? My father  _ wasn’t  _ very family oriented.”

“Is there really nothing we can do to help?” Andy asked.

“I don’t know. It’s a complicated spell and only someone with serious power could possibly break it.”

“Well, we have three witches here. Can three of us do it together?” Arie suggested before frowning, “What do you mean by family oriented? Is he a relative?”

Jun gave an embarrassed chuckle. “He’s my cousin.” He thought for a moment. “Possibly. With Andy and I being necromancers as well..”

“Alright, let’s try it,” Andy decided.

“Not here. The magick items here will interfere.” Jun hefted Vasha.

“Let’s teleport him to the infirmary or the clinic,” Andy suggested.

“Infirmary.”

Andy said the teleportation spell, taking them all there. “What do we need to do?”

“I hate to ask, but do you still have my father’s grimoire? It may help.” Jun lay Vasha on a bed.

She nodded and went to her office, grabbing it and handing it over.

He flipped through it, then pointed. “Here’s the spell he cast. Do you think you can make a counter spell?”

Andy read it over before jotting down words on a pad of paper. She held it out to him, “How’s this sound?”

He scanned it, then nodded slowly. “I think it will work. Everyone ready?”

Andy and Arie nodded in unison.

“Alright. Let’s do it.” He raised his hands toward the wizard.

They did the same. Andy began reciting the words, Arie repeating them after her. Andy also pushed her silver light into him, hoping the extra power would help.

Jun did the same, his blue light covering the bed.

Nothing happened for a few minutes, then Vasha began to glow a soft pink. It grew brighter until it filled the room before sparking and fading. His breathing stabilized, his face relaxing into deep sleep.

Jun took a deep breath. “I think we did it.”

Andy nodded and Arie gave a small smile. 

“Arie?” A voice spoke hesitantly from the doorway.

Arie looked up to see who was speaking.

A tall, goth woman dressed in black waited for her response.

“Ravenna!” She paused. “He called you?”

“Yeah. But this place is so big. I thought he’d be meeting me.”

She sighed and glanced at Andy. 

Andy gave Ravenna a small smile, “I can show you to his room if you’d like.”

“Please.” She tried to sound calm, but her hands were shaking as she clutched her purse.

Andy went into the hall and led her down to his room. She knocked on Yuki’s door and waited for a response.

It cracked open, his eyes peering out. They went wide as he saw Ravenna and it slammed shut.

  
“Yuki? You called her, don’t you want to see her?” Andy asked softly through the door.

“She’s going to be scared of me… I shouldn’t have called..” His voice was thick from tears. “I just wanted to hear her voice..”

Andy sighed, “I don’t think she’s going to be scared of you.” She looked over at Ravenna. “He was with Branch for ten years. I don’t know if you know anything about them or not but they hurt a lot of people and like to do experiments on people. They turned him into a vampire. Believe me, nothing to be afraid of,” she flashed her own fangs.

Ravenna gave her a sad look, then went to the door. “Baby, I’m not scared. I’m so glad you’re alive. I’m sorry for what I said the last time I saw you. I’ve spent the last ten years regretting it. I wanted to apologize so badly, but I could never summon you. Please, open the door.”

Minutes went by with no response.

“Yuki, please don’t leave her hanging,” Andy begged.

The door finally swung open. Yuki hesitantly looked at Ravenna. “I’m sorry. I got scared you’d run away..”

Ravenna wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard. “Yuki Tsushiro Ota, you are an idiot.”

Andy smiled, “I’ll let you guys talk. Have fun.”

As they separated, Yuki mouthed ‘thanks’ to her. The two of them entered his room and closed the door.

Andy headed back to the infirmary to check on Vasha.

He gave her a soft smile and bow. “How can I repay you?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m a doctor, it’s my job to help people. Plus, apparently you’re family?” She chuckled and held out the ring to him, “Guess you don’t have to give up the shop just yet.”

He turned pink and shook his head. “Keep it. I trust you.”

“Are you sure?” She raised an eyebrow. 

“It does more than the wards, my dear girl. I will gladly run the shop.”

She nodded slowly.

“Is there a place I can take my animal form? I wish to fly.”

Andy smiled, “Let’s go outside.” She led him out near the forest before shifting into her own bird form.

He shifted into a huge white wyvern, a smile gracing its features. It rose into the air, its wings spreading.  _ “How I have missed this.” _

She smiled, flying high into the sky.  _ “It feels so free being up here.” _

_ “May I ask you something?” _

_ “Sure.” _

_ “You accept me as family? Is it just because we share blood?” _

_ “That doesn’t have to be part of being family. The whole squad that lives here is my family even though they aren’t blood related. It has to do with caring about each other. Blood can help though,” she answered.  _

_ He laughed. “You know nothing about me.” _

_ “Well, I’d like to know more about you.” _

_ “I resisted Seltain’s plans when he first came to power. I tried to make him see reason, but failed.” _

_ “At least he’s gone now.” _

_ “Jun told me what happened. I am glad you defeated him and I apologize for his actions.” _

_ “Not like it was your fault.” _

_ “I failed to stop him. Your parents died, and you almost were possessed. I feel inadequate.” _

_ “It’s alright, really.” _

_ “You have your father’s heart.” _

She let out a small sigh, “ _ I miss him. I wish he could be spending time with Arie and the rest of us. I guess I’m lucky I got to spend more time with him than she did...”  _ She shook her head,  _ “Sorry, rambling.” _

He let out another laugh.  _ “He was the same way, especially after several glasses of ale.” _

She grinned, _ “You should come see us when the squad has a party. _ ”

He dipped his head.  _ “If the others don’t mind.” _

_ “Andy, need you back here now.”  _ Jun’s voice was faint.

She sighed _ , “Guess they need me. See you in a bit.”  _ She flew back to the door of the base, reverting then entering. 

Akasa met her. “Tet and Kenji just got back. They’re really sick. Jun tried to heal them and now he’s sick too.”

“Where were they?”

“Talking to a witch suspected of killing several people.”

“So it’s probably a magical illness.. I’ll see what I can do.”

The nurse nodded as they entered the infirmary.

Kenji was unconscious, sweating heavily and grimacing. Jun was not much better, while Tet was conscious but in great pain.

Andy’s ring began glowing on her hand.

She stared at it in confusion but went about trying to heal the others. She said a few spells before covering them all in silver light.

The situation didn’t change, but the ring began glowing brighter.

“Rescoom adalba.” Vasha’s voice rang out as the glow covered each man. Seconds later, all three were healed.

“Thank you.”

He dipped his head with a smile. “I will take my leave now. If you need my help, I will come at once.” 

“If you ever need help, let me know too, okay?”

He smiled wider before murmuring a spell and vanishing.

Tet stared in confusion. “Who was that?”

“Vasha. He’s family.” She smiled, “He’s the owner of the bookstore.”

“The bookstore? The place you found Kei’s spellbook?” The tiger sat up in surprise before narrowing his eyes. “Family?”

“He’s Jun’s cousin, so I guess he’s my cousin too?”

“Wow. At least we know why the place keeps getting magical items. How did you find out?”

“We went there today and met him. He was sick but we helped him.”

“That’s my darlin.” He rose from the bed and kissed her. “Anything else happen while we were gone?”

“Helped Yuki and his wife reunite. Got a ring from Vasha. Bought some books. That’s about it.”

“Yuki’s  _ wife? Here? _ ”

“Yeah. Arie knows her and recognized Yuki from pictures.”

“It’s been  _ ten _ years! Didn’t she remarry?”

“She’s been trying to contact him on the other side for ten years. She didn’t remarry or anything.”

“That’s true love right there. Are you taking notes?” He teased her with a smile.

She rolled her eyes before kissing his cheek.

He captured her lips, deepening the kiss till they both gasped for air.

Andy grinned. “I love you.”

“I love you too Darlin.”


	59. Chapter 59

Andy woke up early like usual and went to cook breakfast. She filled two trays and carried them back to their room. Each had a plate filled with food, juice, and a small box. “Wake up sleepy heads. Breakfast is ready.”

Tet blinked his eyes open, then nudged Kiba. “Darlin? What’s the occasion?”

“I just wanted to do something small for Valentine’s day. I know it’s not much..”

Both men paled and exchanged looks.

She chuckled softly, “I wasn’t expecting you guys to remember.”

Tet climbed out of bed. “That’s no excuse. We’re bad boyfriends.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “No you’re not. Now sit and eat.”

He gave her a rueful grin, then sat down and started eating.

Kiba poked the box like he was expecting it to bite him and raised an eyebrow.

“Just a tiny present.” Andy smiled.

Kiba grinned, then followed Tet’s lead.

When they were done, both opened the boxes and froze.

“Darlin…” Tet said softly as tears welled in Kiba’s eyes.

“I’ve been wanting to get you guys rings for a while but wasn’t sure when to give them to you...” she said quietly.

“I love it.” Tet got up and kissed her hard as Kiba buried his face in his pillow.

“You okay Kiba?”

He shook his head, the hand holding the box shaking.

She went to his side and gently put a hand on him, “What’s wrong? Did I overstep?”

“I never thought..anyone would want to stay.” His voice was soft.

“Well, I want to stay. And I’m pretty sure he does too.” She said gently. “I love you.”

He grabbed her in a tight hug. “I’m sorry. I love you too.”

She held him close, “I’m never leaving you willingly, okay?”

He nodded as Tet came over and kissed his head. “You’re stuck with us, furball.”

Kiba chuckled as he slipped his ring on. “Couldn’t be happier at that prospect.”

“I’m glad you guys like them.”

“Now we just need to figure out what to get you..” Tet looked thoughtful.

“I don’t need anything except you guys.”

“Come on, there must be something..” Kiba narrowed his eyes.

She shrugged, “I really can’t think of anything. Don’t worry about it.” She picked up the trays, “I better go make sure the guys didn’t destroy the kitchen.” She kissed them both before leaving the room.

There were hushed whispers as she got to the kitchen door.

“Quiet!” she heard Tsukasa hiss and the voices went silent.

Andy entered, raising an eyebrow at the darkness of the kitchen. 

“SURPRISE!” The lights popped on as the squad jumped out at her.

She chuckled, “What’s the occasion?”

“We may not all be  _ in _ love with you, but we wouldn’t be here to be with the ones we are if it wasn’t for you.” Tsukasa sent her a grin as he held Daiki’s hand. “So this is a celebration of you.”

She smiled, “You guys didn’t have to do all this. But thank you.”

Yuki came over, Ravenna by his side. “Of course we did. And you’re quite welcome.”

She grinned and looked around at everyone. “I love you guys.”

“We love you more!” They chorused.

She laughed in response before taking the trays she was holding to the sink.

Tsukasa came to her side with a small box. “This is from all of us.”

She opened it slowly.

A gold and silver bracelet lay inside with three silver charms.

She smiled and looked closer at the charms.

A panther, a snake and a hawk, all in crystal met her eyes.

“We all designed it and Vasha created it.”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

He kissed her cheek. “No. Thank you for putting up with us.”

She chuckled. “So what are you and Daiki doing today?”

He grinned. “Netflix and chill.”

She laughed, “Have fun.” She went over to the rest of the group to start chatting.

Tet and Kiba snuck up behind her and kissed each cheek. “You were fooled?”

She chuckled, “Maybe just a little.” 

They laughed quietly. “Want to go back to bed?”

She raised an eyebrow before chuckling. “Sure.”

They escorted her, then closed the door behind them.


	60. Chapter 60

Arie went to the bookstore like she had been every week since she met Vasha. He’d tell her stories of her father so she could know more about him.

She was surprised when she found it torn apart and messed up. She searched for Vasha, wondering what had happened. “Hello?”

After no response, she reached into her pocket for her phone to call Andy. She then felt a prick and the world went dark.

Andy was cleaning up the kitchen when she heard her phone go off. “Hello?”

“Is Arie there?” Ryusei’s voice was worried.

“No? Why?”

“She never showed up to class. She’s not answering her phone either.”

“I’ll check the bookstore. Maybe she lost track of time with Vasha...” she thought. 

“Alright. I’m heading back.” He disconnected the call.

Andy headed to the bookstore, cursing when she saw the state it was in. She searched the place for any clues. She called Ryusei back.

“Arie?”

“The bookstore is wrecked and they aren’t here. I’m going to port to their location. If I don’t show up at the base in an hour, come after me.”

“You better believe it.”

“See you later.” She hung up.

She focused on her twin and teleported to her location. She found her attached to a table surrounded by scientists. She bit into some as she clawed up the others. Once she was done, she teleported Arie to the infirmary. She then went back and searched for Vasha.

She finally came to a room and spotted him.

Intense heat lamps were positioned over him. His skin was red, his eyes dull. His lips were blue however, and she could see puddles of water drying under the table he was on. 

She got rid of everyone in the room before going to him, teleporting him to the infirmary. She focused her energy on him, trying to regulate his temperature.

“Help..Help Arie…” He stuttered out, only semi conscious.

“She’s alright for now, don’t worry.”

He clenched his jaw, struggling against unconsciousness. Fangs began to poke out from his lips as his eyes began flashing red. “Get..away..please…”

Andy sighed and went to grab a couple blood bags. She put one to his lips, “Here.”

He greedily sucked it dry, then turned his head away. “I am ashamed to be seen like this.”

“It’s alright, we’ve all been there,” she smiled softly.

“Arie, she is unharmed? I tried to keep her safe.”

“She’s still asleep. I don’t see any physical harm but I won’t know for sure until she wakes.” 

He nodded and tried to rise. “I shall stop being a nuisance and leave now.”

Andy gently pushed him back down and handed him another blood bag, “You’re going to stay until you’re better. Understood? You aren’t being a nuisance.”

He searched her face for a moment, then gave a shy smile. “I have been alone a long time. It is hard to accept anyone wants me.”

“Well, we want to help you. So get used to it.”

She noticed Arie beginning to stir so she went over to her and took her hand. 

Arie bolted upright, eyes red as she dug fangs into Andy’s arm.

Andy cursed, trying to get her arm free, “Akasa! We need blood bags!” 

She finally wrenched herself free, blood streaming from the bite mark. She stared at Arie, trying to keep her distance.

Vasha reached a hand out and murmured softly, the wound healing. He extended and aimed it at Arie, murmuring another spell to which Arie sank back to the bed in a deep sleep. He dropped his arm, sighing heavily. “I failed again.”

Andy shook her head, “It’s alright. She’s only been turned, we can handle that.”

“She should not have been turned. If I had been stronger, she would have been safe. Perhaps you should have left me at that facility.” He stared depressively at the blood bag in his hand.

Andy growled, “I’m so sick of everyone blaming themselves for things that aren’t their fault! You did what you could and that’s what’s important. You can’t stop everything bad from happening, it just isn’t possible. We care about you and don’t blame you a bit for her being turned or anything else, so shut up and accept that fact.”

He laughed softly. “You are definitely Stephen’s daughter.”

Andy chuckled before grabbing some more blood bags. She sat them next to Arie before cleaning the drying blood off her arm. She sat down beside her twin and waited for her to reawaken.

Arie woke slowly this time, her eyes still red when she opened them but she recognized her twin this time, “Andy? What’s happening?”

“Just drink these,” Andy handed the bags over. “Bureau turned you. You’ll be fine once you get more blood in your system.”

Arie nodded slowly before sucking down the bags. Her eyes returned to their normal hue, “So I’m a vampire?”

“Yeah. You just need blood occasionally. You’re still you. You still eat normal food too.”

Arie sighed, “Could be worse, I guess.”

Andy chuckled softly, “Now you’re part of the club.”

Arie gave a small laugh before glancing over at Vasha.

He was trying unsuccessfully to slip out of the infirmary, the full blood bag still on the bed.

Andy rolled her eyes, “I’m not forcing you to stay. But you really don’t have to leave. And at least finish your blood before you do.”

Arie raised an eyebrow, “Did they turn him too?”

“Pretty sure he was already one.”

He gave them a look. “How are you not angry? I should have protected Arie better.”

Arie rolled her eyes, “It’s not your job to protect me.” She gave him a sad look, “If anything I should have protected you better.”

He flinched, then leaned on the wall. “You should not have seen that.”

“Are you doing alright now?” Arie asked softly.

“I am weak, but no longer near death. I have your twin to thank for that.” Vasha closed his eyes slowly, his head against the wall.

“Get back in bed,” Andy said as she wrapped an arm around him to help.

He sighed and complied with her request. “I am sorry, Arie. It is my fault for not checking my staff well.”

“I don’t blame you,” she smiled.

“Thomas was not what he seemed.. He was a plant.” Vasha’s voice was sad.

“Well, when I’m not in class I can help you run the bookstore?” Arie suggested. 

“I can help out too, when I’m not too busy taking care of the squad,” Andy chuckled.

“You would do that?”

“Of course,” they said in unison.

He gave them an appreciative smile.

“Cherie? Are you alright?” Kenji and Ryusei were at the door.

“I’ll be okay,” she gave them a small smile before asking, “You don’t mind fangs, do you?”

Kenji chuckled. “I actually like them.”

Ryusei started laughing. “You have a fang kink? Good to know.”

Andy and Arie laughed. 

Arie then smiled and stood, going to Kenji and giving him a soft kiss.

Kenji blushed, kissed her back, then glared at Ryusei. “If you say anything…”

Ryusei raised an eyebrow. “You’ll sic Tet on me?”

“Nope.” The Frenchman grinned. “Boss.”

Ryusei paled, then swore the secret was safe.

Andy chuckled as she watched them.

Arie then looked at Ryusei with a smirk, “Sorry for missing class. I’ll be sure to double up all your homework next class period.”

“ _ Professor _ !” He whined, giving her puppy dog eyes.

She giggled, “Alright, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll even cut some in apology for missing.”

“It’s not like you were playing hooky.” Ryusei gave her a hug. “Just glad you’re safe.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, without him, we wouldn’t have known for a while longer. Who knows what else they’d have done to you,” Andy stated.

Ryusei looked embarrassed. “All I did was call you. Nothing special.”

“Well without that call I wouldn’t have known for maybe even a couple days,” Andy admitted. “We weren’t scheduled to hang out until the weekend.”

Suddenly the base alarms began wailing.

Andy cursed and looked at them, “Arie, rest more and keep an eye on Vasha. The rest of us will see what’s happening.”

“Intruders on base!” Tsukasa’s voice rang through the PA system. “They appear to be... _ zombies _ ?”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Are zombies even real? I guess we have to go see..”

Kenji and Ryusei charged out the door, skidding to a halt as he saw the attackers. 

Andy followed them, looking confused.

The zombies looked like normal humans but were acting like something out of a movie. They looked rabid and were muttering about brains. Andy was surprised at how fast they were moving though.

Kenji and Ryu shifted, attacking them with little success. They were thrown into the wall, several zombies bending close to bite.

Andy shifted into her panther form, trying to fight them off and keep them away from the two men. She was soon grabbed, feeling herself being hit over the head. She struggled to get away but the hallway was swimming around her. She was dragged down the hall a ways before being teleported. She fought against the many hands trying to push her or hold her down. She was tied to a chair and left for a while, fighting against the bonds.

“Darlin? You okay?” Tet’s voice was pained.

“Tet?” She looked around until she spotted him.

He was bound to a chair as well, blood visible on his clothes as well as a trickle coming from a gash on his forehead. His eyes were unfocused.

She was about to speak more when a scientist came in and injected her with a large syringe full of a green liquid.

She didn’t respond for a long while until finally she let out a scream as pain shot through her. She felt so strange and she wondered what was happening to her. She started feeling an unbearable hunger which reminded her of her vampire thirst. She wondered if blood would help, but she knew she wouldn’t be getting any soon.

The scientist jotted down notes as Andy slowly lost herself to the hunger, fighting against the chair bonds as she tried to get to the scientist.

“Darlin! Don’t give in to it!” Tet fought the bonds, trying to get to her.

Another scientist brought a plate in, a brain sitting on it. He held it out to her and she devoured it like a wild animal. Slowly, she came back to herself and she started hyperventilating as she realized what they made her into.

“You utter bastards! I’m going to rip you apart!” Tet screamed as he fought harder.

Andy felt her vision start to fade from lack of oxygen. She forced herself to take deeper breaths and was finally almost calm when a few people were brought in in chains. 

The scientists stuck them in front of her. She could tell they were drugged and not really with it.

“Bite them.” The scientists ordered as the people held their arms out to her.

She shook her head quickly. More scientists forced an arm into her mouth before shocking her. The force of the shock made her bite down hard. They repeated it with the last of the group before leading them back out of the room. 

“Now we can see what they’ll turn into. Is the vampire or zombie disease stronger?” One scientist spoke aloud.

Andy stared blankly ahead of her until they brought in another brain to feed her. Her body was still craving it, so she ate, but tears streaked her face the whole time. 

Tet broke his bonds, shifting and leaping at the scientists.

A few went down but one managed to stick him with a syringe of yellow liquid, injecting it quickly.

Tet whimpered, falling to the floor and reverting as his back arched in pain.

Andy tried to fight the ties again, trying to get to Tet to help him. She was still unsuccessful until she remembered she could shift. She turned into a snake, easily getting free of the bonds. She bit into the scientists and drained them before going to Tet, “Are you okay?”

He gave her a pained look. “Hurry up and kill me if you’re going to. I won’t fight you.”

“Tet, I’m not going to.”

He closed his eyes. “I love you. Do it.”

“I love you, I’m not going to kill you.” She said softly. 

“I know it’s just what they did to you. I don’t blame you.” He took a deep breath and offered his head to her.

She started crying. “You think I’m just a monster now, don’t you?” 

He opened his eyes and shook his head. “You’re not a monster. You’ll never be a monster to me. You’re the woman who saved me, body and soul. The love of every life I’ll ever have.”

“Then why do you think I’ll kill you?”

“I know you’ll regain your senses. Please don’t blame yourself, alright?” He slumped into her arms unconscious.

Andy took a deep breath before teleporting him to the infirmary. She checked him over, beginning to say spells to heal him. 

Tsukasa raced in. “Are you alright? Reports are you were grabbed.” He was breathing hard.

“We were,” she answered quietly.

“What happened to him?”

“He was hurt and also given something. It should wear off of him soon I hope. I think it caused pain but I’m not entirely sure.” She said a few more healing spells before stepping away from Tet. “Is everyone else alright?”

“Minor injuries. Arie, Jun and Vasha took care of everything.” The dragon watched Tet stirring. When his eyes had opened, Tsukasa told him. “You’re on medical stand down until Andy clears you.”

Tet’s eyes went wide, then his face fell. “Guess this was a screw up too many. I understand, sir. Kiba deserves the promotion.” He murmured the teleportation spell and vanished.

Tsukasa stared at the empty bed in shock before looking at Andy. “What the  _ fuck _ just happened?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, “Maybe the drug messed with him more than I thought...?” She took a deep breath before sighing, “I can’t handle this..”

Tsukasa gave her a sympathetic look. “You should take a break. Jun and Akasa can take care of the infirmary.”

“I think I’ll be at my house if you need me,” she said quietly.

He gave her a soft smile. “Go rest and take a breather.”

She nodded slowly before muttering the teleportation spell and disappearing. She collapsed on her bed, beginning to sob until she managed to cry herself to sleep.

The sound of someone banging in her walls woke her.

She was confused and went to look at what was happening.

There was anguished muttering coming from under her stairs.

“Hello?” She went down slowly.

The hidden door was cracked open and the sounds of someone throwing things could be heard. “Why didn’t she just do it?!”

She opened the door and looked in.

Tet was slumped in a corner, the emergency supplies thrown around the room. “I’ve lost everything..again. Why didn’t they just kill me?” He was sobbing, his breaths strained.

She quietly went and wrapped her arms around him.

He flinched. “Darlin?”

“Hey.”

“You still hate me?”

“Why would I?”

He sagged. “Guess so. Maybe Jun can break the spell. Just make it quick, okay?”

She backed away, tears in her eyes. “Sorry.. I’ll leave you alone..”

“It’s okay. If it’s you, it’s okay. I’ll wait for you, I swear.” He reached out for her.

“You’re acting so strange..” Andy admitted. She looked thoughtful before grabbing something from her pocket. She jotted a note down before reaching for Tet and getting a syringe full of blood from him. She teleported the note and syringe to the infirmary so they could test it. “Just relax, okay?”

His eyes went wide. “Snap out of it, darlin.  _ Please _ …”

She backed up further, beginning to question her own actions. Was it her acting strange? Was she crazy now? What had they done to her..?

“I’m sorry. I’ll go and you’ll never see me again..” Tet disappeared just as Akasa pathed  _ “Andy? Don’t let him leave!” _

_ “He just did...” _

_ “Fuck! Whatever that drug is, it’s messing with how he understands words. He’s hearing the opposite of their true meaning.. He’s going to be in real trouble out there.” _

Andy cursed. “ _ I’ll find him. Make an antidote if you can?”  _ She focused on Tet and teleported to his location.

He was staggering down an alley, his back to her as blood pulsed out in a trail behind him.

“Tet!” She ran up to him, holding him tightly.

“So now you’ll finish me off. Guess it’s what I deserve. I disappointed Boss and you hate me..” He sank to his knees as blood pooled in a widening puddle at his feet.

“Medicine from Bureau..” she sighed and shook her head, unsure what to say to make him understand.

He rested his head against her chest as he began to shake from the massive blood loss.

She held him close, teleporting him to the infirmary. She got him on a bed before saying spells to try to heal his wounds.

His eyes were struggling to stay open. “Don’t leave me..I don’t want to die alone.”

“Shh.” She looked over at Akasa, “Did you get an antidote yet?”

“Kei is finishing it. Those assholes are too smart for their own good.” He winced as he saw the tiger’s injuries. “I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

“Set up a transfusion while I work.” 

Andy held Tet’s hand and focused energy into him.

Akasa quickly did so, then headed for the lab.

“I’m sorry..whatever I did, I’m sorry. Tell Boss I’m sorry…” Tet’s eyes were losing their spark, both his voice and pulse fading.

Andy was afraid to say anything, not wanting to have him misunderstand. She just kept focusing her power.

He tried to smile, his hand tightening around hers for a second before releasing as his eyes slipped shut.

She pushed her energy harder and faster, trying to keep him alive.

Akasa ran in with a syringe, quickly injecting it. “This should work.”

Tet mumbled something.

“Tet, stay with me,” Andy ordered. 

His eyes cracked open. “You’re back…”

“The medicine from Bureau changed how you understood things. I never changed.” She sighed, “Ok, well that’s a lie, I did freak the fuck out after what they did to me... but we’re not talking about that right now.”

Tet stared at her. “I heard..”

Akasa huffed. “Think of it as opposite day gone wrong. You heard the exact opposite of everything we were saying.”

“Yeah. You were put on medical stand down. I love you and am not going to kill you. Okay?” Andy said softly.

He turned red. “You must think I'm an idiot.."

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault,” she smiled. “We don’t think you’re an idiot.” 

“ _ I _ think I’m an idiot. Bet Boss does too.”

“He was just confused and worried,” Andy answered. 

“What now?”

“Everything will be alright, I hope. And we are  _ not  _ going to talk about what happened there to anyone else..”

Tet took a deep breath. “It would be better to tell them, just in case something happens..”

She sighed, “We have witches, vamps, and shifters.. Those are normal for us. This.. isn’t. It’s far from our normal.”

“Normal is overrated. But it’s your decision.” He yawned. “Feel weak as hell.”

“Just rest and relax, okay?” She gave him a small smile before frowning, “Maybe I should tell them.. that way they can steer clear of me so I don’t hurt anyone..”

Tet growled. “Don’t even pull that shit. We didn’t do that when you were turned. Didn’t do that even when you were being controlled. Like hell we’d do that now.”

“You saw me! What if I go crazy again and hurt someone?”

“ _ ANY _ of us could ask the same question. Hell, I  _ have _ attacked several of you multiple times. Are you terrified of me?”

“No,” she answered quietly. 

“And we aren’t of you. We’ll figure this out, just like before.” He pushed himself up and cupped her face, kissing her softly.

She kissed him back before sighing, “Just rest. I’m going to go do a few things but I’ll be back. Okay?”

“You better be.” He laid back down and closed his eyes.

Andy took a deep breath before teleporting out of the infirmary. She showed up at the Testing Bureau, entering and slicing through anyone she came across. She got on their computer system, reading through all the information she could find on zombies. She then decided to not waste good supplies, so she drained all the dead scientists of their blood, saving some in bags for later. She then worked on removing their brains, teleporting them to her house and hiding them in a large freezer so she’d have a supply when needed. When she was all done, she left the building, setting the place on fire and watching it burn.

She finally went back to base, searching for Kiba.

He was sitting in their room, staring at the wall blankly.

“You okay?” She asked quietly.

“Tet quit..”

Andy rolled her eyes, “He was under the effects of a drug. He thought he was getting fired. He’s in the infirmary fine. I’m going to talk to Tsukasa about it soon.”

Kiba’s eyes narrowed, then he shook his head. “Not even going to ask. What’s up?”

She sat down on the edge of the bed, “Tet and I were taken by the Bureau today..”

“Boss told us. Said you got free and Tet was acting really strange.”

“Yeah.. well something happened while we were there..” she looked down. “Can you promise not to hate me?”

“Why would I hate you?”

She sighed. “On top of all the shit Branch turned me into, Bureau decided that it wasn’t enough. On top of everything else, I’m now a zombie. Basically I just need brains occasionally or I’ll go insane...”

“Is that all? You do realize that we live with an increasing number of vampires that are the same way?”

She sighed again, “I know.. I just.. we don’t have any zombies here. I wasn’t sure how you’d take it..” 

He chuckled and pulled her into a hug. “Silly Andy.” He kissed her hard.

She held onto him tightly and after the kiss she whispered, “Thank you.” 

He smiled. “Anytime.”

“I better go talk to Tsukasa and tell him about that and that Tet’s okay now.” She gave him a small smile. “I don’t think I’m telling everyone just yet though, so if you don’t mind, keep it a secret?”

“No problem. Maybe Boss will stop being so stressed now too.”

She chuckled and kissed him again before heading out and knocking on Tsukasa’s office door.

Daiki opened the door. “ _ Please _ tell me you can calm him down?” Smoke blew past him into the hall.

She nodded, “Hopefully.”

“Daiki, who’s there?” Tsukasa’s voice was strained.

“It’s just me, coming to update you on everything,” Andy entered. “Tet was given a drug making him think the opposite of what we were saying. He thought you were firing him when you put him on stand down. He’s back in the infirmary and has had an antidote.”

Tsukasa took a deep breath. “When I get my hands on those bastards..” He looked up at her. “Something else wrong with him? Thought you were hiding out.”

“He’s alright. I took down the whole Bureau base we were taken to, so that’s one less to worry about.” She sighed, “You know all those zombies from earlier?”

“Yeah…? Why?” His eyes narrowed.

She looked down, “They decided it’d be fun to make me a zombie. You know.. on top of everything else.”

“Those  _ bastards _ …” He hissed, his voice low.

“Well, it’s okay.. I went and hid all their brains in my freezer for a midnight snack,” she chuckled quietly, still not looking up.

He laughed, putting his head on the desk for a moment before going to her side. He raised her chin. “Thoroughly deserved in my opinion. You better not be thinking about running. We  _ will _ find you.”

She nodded and took a deep breath, “I know, I might still take a break but I’m not running. And as of now, Tet and Kiba are the only ones who know I’m a zombie. Not really sure how to tell everyone, you know?”

He nodded. “Understandable. I won’t say anything. And take as long as you need. We’ll be fine. If Daiki doesn’t have a stroke over there.” He chuckled at his aide.

Andy gave a small laugh. 

“Go home. Get yourself zen.” 

She smiled before teleporting back to her house, glad her friends were still okay with her.


	61. Chapter 61

Andy was finishing cleaning up from breakfast when she spotted Ryusei and Ryon, “Hey, I’m going into town, want to go? Probably hit the bookstore and groceries at least?”

“Sounds good.” Ryon looked at her. “Can Kei come too? He’s been wanting to meet your friend.”

“Vasha? Of course,” she smiled. “Go tell him then we’ll head out.”

Ryon grinned and ran out of the kitchen. Minutes later, he returned with Kei in tow.

The earthwitch looked nervous.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s a master witch. I feel inferior.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “You’re not inferior. And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind teaching you a few things. He’s really nice.”

Kei looked hopeful. “You really think so?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “Now let’s get going.” She headed out to her car and waited for them to all climb in before taking off.

They arrived at the bookstore, Andy entering first and holding the door for the others.

Vasha gave a smile as he saw them. “Hello. I see you are bored again.”

Andy chuckled, “Only a little.” She then smiled, “These are my friends, Ryon, Ryusei, and Kei.”

The wizard bowed, then stared at Kei’s nervous face with a smile. “Young witch, I do not bite. You have nothing to fear from me.”

“See, I told you,” Andy nudged Kei slightly.

Kei chuckled self consciously. “I wish to learn from you, Master.”

Vasha looked surprised. “I doubt I have anything to teach you. I have not done magick in many years.”

“Seltain fucked with his magic abilities,” Andy informed Kei. “But, you do know a lot and I’m sure all of us could learn from you, Vasha.”

“I am honored.” He bowed low. “As you desire, I will share my knowledge.” He stood up, then grimaced and crumpled to the floor.

Andy quickly knelt beside him, looking him over. She pushed energy into him, trying to see if it would help. She finally noticed a dart and growled, standing up and looking around.

Before she knew it, she felt herself get hit with one and the world blacked out.

When she woke, she found herself in a cell. She stood quickly, looking around and finding her squad members in there with her.

Ryon and Kei gave matching sighs of relief. Kei was cradling a battered Ryusei and trying to heal him.

Andy joined in with healing spells, watching the wounds slowly disappear.

“He tried to fight when they took Vasha away.”

She nodded, “Any idea where they went?”

They shook their heads.

Suddenly the door was opened, screams becoming audible as a scientist entered.

Andy watched him with a glare.

The scientist moved to open the cell door, pointing a weapon at Ryon, Kei, and Ryusei. He moved to Andy’s side and stuck her with a syringe. After he left the cell she asked, “What was that?”

“You probably know a similar medicine which drives you vamps crazy with bloodlust.  _ This _ will do the same with your hunger,” he grinned cruelly.

Her eyes widened and she sank to her knees. 

Ryon and Kei exchanged puzzled looks as the scientist laughed and left the room.

The screams cut off suddenly.

“You have to kill me before I hurt you,” Andy whispered as she moved to sit in the corner farthest from them.

“What?! No way in hell!” Ryon exclaimed, starting to approach her.

“Stay away!” She breathed quickly, “Don’t let me kill you.”

Ryon paused, about to speak. He was interrupted by the door opening again, several men carrying a weak Vasha into the cell.

He was dropped into Andy’s lap, the men laughing as they relocked the cell and leaving.

Andy scrambled away to the other corner, wrapping her arms around the cell bars.

Kei dropped to his knees beside the older man, checking him over. “Shit. Andy, you have to help him..he’s going to die otherwise.”

Andy shakily stood, moving to Vasha’s side. She focused energy into him, trying to ignore the growing feeling of hunger. She finally moved back away from him, the shaking increasing.

“Andy? What’s wrong?” Ryon looked helplessly at her.

“It’s the drug they gave me. You have to take me out before I become mindless..”

“We aren’t afraid. If we die, you’ll bring us back.” He tried to approach her again.

“You don’t even know what I am! What they turned me into!” Tears started streaking her face. “It’s one of the few things I  _ can’t  _ bring you back from..”

“Still not afraid.”

She sobbed, clutching the bars tightly as the hunger got even worse. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I fear this is my fault.” Vasha’s voice was tired and resigned. “I am sorry, Andaka.”

“Not everything is your fault! I told you that before. What they did to me is on them, just like all the shit Branch did to me was Branch’s fault,” she said with a growl. 

“They did what they did to remove me from your group. They fear my power as Branch did Seltain’s. They believe if I am gone, they are safe. There is a secret they don’t know, because it was hidden from the research they used. They never would have done this had they known.”

“What is it?” Andy bit her lip and clutched the bars tighter, her knuckles white.

“If you eat another magick user, you will gain all their knowledge and abilities. Thus, if you eat me, you will become me. Instead of removing me, they merely made it so you can destroy them easier.” Vasha gave a laugh. “Quite ironic, is it not? Branch did not learn the lesson either until it was too late.”

“I don’t want to eat you,” Andy said quietly. “I’m afraid I’m going to lose control soon though.” She then gave a quiet chuckle, “Seltain must not have known, or he’d have become one too and eaten everyone he came across..”

Vasha watched her quietly. “He did not. And as much as I do not wish it, I wish my knowledge to be lost even less. My power will break the drug’s hold and they will be safe.” He indicated the other three men.

Andy shook her head, “I can’t...” she moved to bite her arm to try to help. The idea of draining herself crossed her mind and she slowly began drinking her own blood, trying to weaken herself so she didn’t hurt the others.

“Andaka!” Vasha shakily crawled over to her. “Stop that at once!”

“Can’t hurt you then..” she drank faster before sliding down further. Her arm dropped away from her and her eyes were unfocused, “Stay away and I can’t hurt you..” She unconsciously bit out toward him before shaking her head, “Can’t eat friends..” 

Vasha’s eyes blazed with fury as he laid a hand on her chest. Pink light enveloped her as he began to speak. “Who will protect your friends if you are gone? Do you believe any of them will survive if you do not destroy this threat? I made a vow to your father once, to help you in any way I could. I will  **not** allow you to make a liar out of me.”

His voice softened. “This is all I can do for you. Whatever they did to me, I feel it is mortal. I wish for you to have my knowledge so that you can keep your family safe.” The pink light sputtered out, his strength waning.

Tears streamed down her face before she got almost a rabid look on her face. She tried to bite out at him, missing by mere inches.

He moved closer, his eyes beginning to close. “Goodbye, sweet girl.”

Andy’s breathing increased as she went to bite at him again.

“ANDY!” The door burst open to reveal Tet and Kiba, Akasa behind them. The tiger snarled and ripped the door from its hinges to allow Akasa to inject her with a blue fluid.

Andy weakly looked at Tet and Kiba, “It’s like that drug that makes vamps thirsty... I’m just so hungry...”

Tet nodded, producing a plastic bag and handing it to her. “Your freezer is big enough to hold half the population’s.”

She looked in the bag, quickly eating the contents.

Akasa knelt beside Ryusei. “He’s unconscious, but okay.” The nurse moved to Vasha’s side. His face fell and he shook his head. He went back to Ryusei and teleported him and the brothers to safety.

Andy focused on Vasha, trying to see what was wrong with him. She pushed energy into him, hoping to help, but she was still feeling weak.

His aura was dim, his power fading as she watched. His breath hitched, then ceased completely. He lay almost in her lap, his face peaceful.

“I need Jun’s help.. I’m not strong enough on my own right now,” Andy looked up at them.

Tet and Kiba touched her and Vasha as Tet recited the teleportation spell. They reappeared in the infirmary and Kiba ran for Jun.

Jun entered worriedly, the concern growing as he caught sight of Andy. “Are you alright?”

“Not really.. just help me revive him?” She focused her gold light on Vasha, and it sparkled weakly as it surrounded him.

Jun mingled his blue light with hers, focusing intently. But after a few minutes, he shook his head. “Something is blocking us.”

Her face fell, “If we can’t revive him I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I can... we have to find a way to bring him back.” 

“Whatever they did, it’s keeping our power from reuniting his body and spirit. I don’t think we can.” Jun let his power fade as tears began streaking his face.

Andy looked up, “Akasa.. can you test to see if he has any weird drugs in his body? If so, we can create an antidote and fix this...”

Akasa nodded silently, drawing a blood sample and disappearing into the lab.

Tet and Kiba exited without a word as Jun followed Akasa, leaving her alone with Vasha.

She stared down at him, praying she didn’t have to eat his brain. She still felt some of the hunger but the thought of having to eat someone she loved made her feel sick. She prayed that somehow they’d find a way to fix him so he could be revived.

Jun and Akasa reappeared, the necromancer holding a vial of orange liquid. He gently opened Vasha’s mouth and poured it in, his eyes angry.

Andy watched quietly, “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep him alive..”

“They tried to rip out his power. There was no way you could have.” Jun softly brushed a lock of hair from the wizard’s face.

“Will this potion fix it so we can bring him back?”

“I believe so.” He focused, his light flaring to life and covering Vasha’s body. “Come on, you stubborn witch. Come back to us.”

Andy joined her energy in with his quietly.

After several minutes, Vasha inhaled sharply. His eyes fluttered open, dazedly looking at her. “Are we dead?”

“No. We got rescued and you’re alive.”

He looked at her, noting her exhaustion and sadness. “I am sorry for causing you such pain.”

She shook her head, “I don’t blame you at all. I blame them, end of story.” 

“I am speaking of my request.” He lowered his eyes.

She chuckled, “It’s alright. Knowing that, I’d request the same. Please don’t worry about it.” She squeezed his hand gently before heading out to find Ryon, Ryusei, and Kei.

The three of them were in Ryusei’s room, the brothers seated beside the still unconscious porter’s bed. They looked up when she entered.

“You look like you need a month of sleep.” Kei remarked softly.

“I wanted to apologize about earlier..” 

“What about?” Ryon asked as he looked down at Ryusei.

“For telling you to kill me, for biting and trying to drain myself, for not telling you guys what happened last time the Bureau had me..”

Kei gave her a look. “We don’t blame you. Wish you would have trusted us more, but it’s understandable you wouldn’t want to announce it. It’s not like none of us have secrets.”

She looked down, “It’s a little hard to just be like.. hey guys, Bureau fucked me up even more and now I’m a zombie. You know? I think I’d need to be pretty drunk for that..”

Both men chuckled.

Ryusei began to stir, his eyes slowly blinking open. He gave them a confused look. “Weren’t we captives?”

“A lot has happened since then,” Andy chuckled. “Just get some rest, I’ll see you guys later.”

They nodded as she left.


	62. Chapter 62

“Arianna! No, please…” Kei’s scream broke into Andy’s head.

Andy looked around in confusion. She knew she heard Kei, so she headed to his room and knocked on his door.

Sobbing was coming from the other side, the sound harsh and tortured.

Andy opened the door slowly, going and gently putting a hand on him, “Kei? It’s a nightmare. Wake up.”

His eyes flew open and he sucked in a sharp breath. “Sorry. I’m okay.”

“It’s alright. And it’s understandable if you aren’t okay. You can always talk to me, you know that, right?”

He sighed, pushing himself up. He produced a liquor bottle, then reseated himself. “I killed my fiancee.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must be to deal with,” she said softly. “What happened?”

“I didn’t use my magic much until I joined the military. I met another witch one night on base and we fell in love. She helped me hone my gift. One day, I got cocky and tried a spell I shouldn’t have. She had warned me I wasn’t skilled enough but I wouldn’t listen. She tried to stop me, but the magic went out of control and she died, swallowed by the earth. After that, I refused to use my magic and not long after I was captured by Branch.” He opened the bottle and took a long drink.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, me too. I’ve been thinking of leaving.” He sat back, rolling the bottle in his hands. “I don’t see how I help the team at all.”

“You’ve helped plenty of times, especially with different potions. I understand if you don’t want to be here, but don’t just leave because you feel like you aren’t helping. You do a lot for this team and we all care about you.”

“Akasa has helped more. Hell, Vasha and Jun are better than I am at  _ everything _ . I kill people.. You remember the spell I tried when those assholes tried to sell my brothers?”

“Yeah? And they might be good at a lot, but everyone, including you, has things the others can’t do,” Andy said quietly. 

“That’s the one that killed her..and I don’t do anything that none of the others can’t.” He took another drink.

“We love you for  _ you.  _ Not just what you can do.”

He gave her a small smile, his eyes starting to become glassy. “You’re a good friend..wish I’d met you earlier..”

Andy sighed and took the bottle from him, “Get some more rest. We can talk more in the morning, okay?”

“Won’t..be here..Sorry..” His breathing was slowing as he tilted to the side. “Tell..goodbye..”

She scanned him over, trying to see what was wrong with him.

Tranquilizers met her eyes, present in the liquor in his stomach.

She cursed, teleporting him to the infirmary before pumping his stomach and giving a medicine to help counteract what made it to his blood stream. She poured energy into him as well, trying to stabilize his breathing.

He slowly became stable, lying quiet on the bed.

She stayed with him until morning when Akasa came in. She had him keep an eye on Kei as she went to Tsukasa’s office. 

The dragon rubbed his eyes as he saw her. “You look how I feel. What happened?” He pushed away the large stack of paperwork.

“Kei had some issues, tried to kill himself, so I’ve been up watching him most of the night,” she admitted. “We need a counselor or something in here. I can barely keep myself together and then I have to try to help everyone else.. I’m a doctor, I know it’s my job to help. But I’m a medical doctor for a reason, not a psychiatrist...” She said quickly before hanging her head, “Sorry, I just need to vent. I know we can’t get one, we’d scare them off in a day..” 

He gave her a small smile before tapping the paperwork. “Requisition form for a team shrink. Must be experienced dealing with all forms of ‘supernatural’ creatures. Experience dealing with abandonment issues a must.” He shook his head. “She’ll be here later.”

“Seriously?” Andy looked surprised.

“Yup. After what happened with Vasha and Bureau, I decided to bite the bullet.”

Andy smiled, “I hope she can help the team. They need it.”

“Hope she gets along with everyone. If no one likes her..” He ran a hand through his hair.

“It’ll take some time to open up to a new person, but hopefully they’ll come to like her. Even if she can help just a couple of them, it’d help me out a lot...” 

He nodded slowly. “We need a rest day. Now.”

“Alright. I’ll see what I can do. Maybe a beach or picnic then a party tonight?”

“Good idea.”

Andy smiled, “Let’s go with picnic at the beach. Then I’ll get some alcohol for tonight. Don’t let Kei near it though..” She sighed, “Now go get your swimsuit ready.” 

“The one I actually bought or the one Daiki did?”

She chuckled, “Do I even want to know what he bought you?”

“Sit down so you don’t end up on the floor. He decided to one up my brother.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “That can’t be good.”

He pulled out a pair and tossed them to her.

She looked to find a cat riding a shark, with a rainbow and bright background. She broke out into giggles, “Definitely wear this one.”

Tsukasa gave her a long suffering look. “You’re awful.”

Andy smirked, “I want to go find some for Tet and Kiba now.. hide their other pairs...” 

Tsukasa fought laughter. “Do it.”

Andy laughed, “I’ll be back shortly.” She teleported to the store to pick out the worst pairs she could find. She checked out then went back to Tsukasa’s office. “Which pair do you think is more Tet or Kiba?”

He tried not to fall out of his chair. “Sloth is Tet. Trex is definitely my brother.”

She grinned, “Thanks for the input. See you soon.”

She vanished out the door, went and hid their other pairs of swim trunks and then headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. As soon as everyone entered she spoke, “Guys! We’re going to the beach today then having a party tonight. Go get ready.”

They all shrugged, dispersing to their rooms.

Minutes later, she heard Tet and Kiba yell.

She broke into laughter as she made up the picnic baskets.

“Darlin… you are going to get spanked.” Tet slid behind her, his voice low.

“You know you want to spank me,” she winked at him. 

He nipped her neck. “Have to admit, I didn’t know he could turn that red..”

“Blame Daiki and Tsukasa, they gave me the idea.” 

“So you saw them..” His eyes twinkled. “Who says it was Daiki’s idea?”

She laughed, “You’re terrible.”

“It’s good for Boss’s health. He’s too stressed all the time again.”

“That reminds me, I need to check on Kei..” she said quietly. “I’ll be back in a few. Finish the baskets?”

He nodded silently, wisely not asking anything.

There was a woman in her office reading her files when she entered the infirmary.

“Hi. Are you our new psychiatrist?”

The woman looked up and smiled. “You must be Andy. I’m Rhona.”

“Nice to meet you,” Andy smiled before going to check with Akasa and Kei.

Akasa gave her a disgruntled look. “Would you kindly kill me? He’s pissing me off and if I kill him it will negate your hard work.”

Andy chuckled, “The group is going to the beach. Do you want to go join them?”

“I might stay there.” Akasa left the infirmary.

Kei was staring out the window.

“Not pretending what happened didn’t, but do you want to go out to the beach? The group is having a break day. Fresh air might be good for you.”

“Why did you save me?”

“Remember that whole ‘we love and care about you’ thing?”

A smile flitted across his face. “You’re too nice.”

“Seriously, the whole group cares about you, not just me.” She gave him a small smile, “So do you want to go to the beach, stay here and hang out with me, or stay and hang out with our new psychiatrist?”

He paled. “No shrinks. And wouldn’t you be going with everyone?”

“Depends on what you want to do. You’re my focus right now, because I care and am worried about you. So we can either hang out here and talk or watch a movie, or we can go to the beach together.”

“I better go or Etsuko is going to be looking for me. She kicks harder than you do.”

Andy chuckled, “Go get your swimsuit then and meet the rest of the group. I’m keeping an eye on you so don’t try anything.” She went back to her office, “So, Rhona, where are you from?”

“New York originally. Parents are career military, so I moved around a lot. I’m sorry about invading your office, but your nurse suggested I read some of the, how should I put this? The patients most in need of help’s files.”

Andy nodded, “I can guarantee some of the group won’t trust you, especially not right away. But hopefully you can help a couple anyway.” 

She shot a glance at the door. “Like that young man who just left?”

“Yeah, I definitely think he’ll have trouble warming up to you..” she sighed, “We’re having a break day, so if you want you can join us and get to know some of the group, or you can keep reading files.”

“It’s always more productive to see the patients in normal situations. Files only give so much information.” Rhona gave her a look. “I appreciate the fact that you aren’t hostile. I was told by the General and Colonel Kadoya that you had been both doctor and shrink for a long time.”

“The group trusts me, so I know I’ll still be dealing with their problems, especially the ones who won’t trust you, but I’m about ready to break with my own problems, I can’t keep constantly doing everything,” she admitted before asking, “What kind of experience do you have with the supernatural?”

Rhona flashed fangs at her.

Andy nodded, “Anything else?”

“I was the shrink for the NightStalkers. They are a squad of shifters.”

Andy nodded, “Alright. Well, the team is probably waiting, let’s go to the beach.” She headed out of the office.

Rhona followed. “How worried should I be at their reactions?”

Andy shrugged, “Kei, for example, was stuck in a Branch mental hospital. I know he hates shrinks. Others might be a bit more open. I doubt anyone will try to hurt you though, if that helps.” She pulled out her phone quickly and called Arie, letting her know about their beach trip if she wanted to join. 

She eagerly agreed and said she was bringing a guest, then hung up.

Rhona sighed. “I don’t want to scare anyone.”

“Let’s not tell them what you’re here for at first.. just say you’re here to help me out, not say with what exactly..” she sighed, “Not lying, just not telling the whole truth..” She shrugged, “I don’t like hiding things from them. Even if no one else wants your help, if you can keep me sane, I can help the others.”

Rhona laughed softly. “Consider it done.”

Andy met up with the group, “You guys know your way to the beach. Porters, take everyone who can’t port please.”

She was met with salutes and laughter before almost everyone disappeared.

Tet and Kiba gave wary looks at Rhona as they kissed Andy’s cheeks. “Ready?”

She nodded and looked at Rhona, “Do you know the teleport spell?”

The shrink nodded, then vanished.

Kiba looked at Andy. “Friend of yours?”

“She’s a new helper around here. Even if no one else wants her here, she better help me, anyway.”

They shrugged. “Let’s go have some fun.”

Andy nodded and ported them to the beach. She laid out a large blanket and sat down, looking out at the water.

Tet and Kiba kissed her again, then ran for the water. They pushed Ryusei and Ryon in, laughing as the porters vowed revenge.

“You appear worried.” A soft voice said in her ear.

She turned, “Don’t you know I’m always worried?”

Vasha chuckled. “You are too hard on yourself, dear.” He sat down beside her.

“One of the team tried to kill themselves last night and we have a new psychiatrist who seems nice enough but you know I’m protective of the team. Just trying to keep an eye on things,” she admitted.

“I feared he would try something.” Vasha’s voice was sad. “I tried to counsel him, but he said he was fine.”

Andy sighed, “No one here is ever fully fine.”

Vasha nodded in understanding. “I should have insisted. But I am not without demons myself.”

“Sometimes insisting can push them away further..” 

Vasha was quiet for a moment, then gave her a teasing smile. “Your twin is under the impression I am too withdrawn. She insisted I join everyone even though I am merely a shopkeeper, not a squad member.”

“Arie isn’t technically squad either. Actually, neither are Akasa and I. But you’re part of this big family and you’re important to us.” Andy smiled, “We’re having a party tonight. You should join us.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”’

“Of course.”

“Alright.” He watched the squad frolic for a moment. “Yuki is happier.”

“Yeah, I’m glad,” she watched them.

Rhona sat quietly on a hill, watching the squad. She appeared to be sad.

Andy went over to her, “Hey, you okay over here? You  _ can  _ join us, you know.”

“I don’t want to overstep.” She gave Andy a small smile. “Not sure this was the right decision for me to accept this position.”

“At least come and eat something?” Andy smiled softly. “And it  _ is _ a crazy squad to care for. I completely understand if it is too much for you and I’m sure Tsukasa would understand too.”

“He’s trying to help and I know that. But who wants a depressed shrink?” She chuckled ruefully.

“Hey, I’ve literally had to help them as I was planning to kill myself. It doesn’t matter if you’re depressed.” She paused, “Ok, it  _ does matter _ . But not in terms of helping them. They need help.  _ I _ need help. And maybe we can help you too.”

Rhona smiled. “You sure you don’t have a degree?”

“I mean, I studied a little bit of psychology in school, but I focused more on the physical body than mental. I’ve just helped people enough times, I kind of have the hang of it. It’s exhausting though..”

The shrink nodded. “That man you were speaking to, he seems different. Is he a squad member?”

“No, he’s a bookstore owner,” Andy smiled. “He’s family though. That’s the other thing with this squad, everyone is family and is very protective of each other.” 

“As a good squad should be.” She looked wistful.

“Why did you leave your last position, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I lost my husband. He was killed in action. At least that’s what I was told. I couldn’t handle seeing the others after that. I was actually considering retiring when your crazy dragon called me.”

“I’m sorry about your husband,” she then gave a small smile, “Our dragon probably needs a psychiatrist more than most of us.”

“I’ve been his unofficial shrink since we met in basic. Believe me, I know how he gets.”

Andy chuckled softly. “Now come on, come get some food.” Andy held a hand out to her.

She grinned and took it.

Andy led her over to one of the baskets of food. 

Arie was near it and she smiled, “Hey.”

“Hey, this here is Rhona. Rhona, this is my twin Arie. She’s a professor.”

“Nice to meet you. What do you teach?”

“Creative writing. I’m one of Ryusei’s professors.”

“Ryusei is one of the squad members,” Andy informed. “Rhona is new, she’s going to help keep us sane.”

“Not sure that’s possible with this group,” Arie joked.

Rhona laughed, then stared at someone doing backflips in the water. “What in the world?”

Andy chuckled, “Not sure, they always do interesting things.”

Arie shook her head, “He’s always doing some kind of flips.”

“He’s one of the more normal ones.” Tsukasa approached with a fond smile.

Arie laughed, “He’s far from normal but compared to the rest of you..” 

Tsukasa held a hand to his chest. “You wound me. I’m not  _ that _ weird.”

Rhona choked. “You were the weirdest person in basic.”

Andy laughed, “Honestly though, you are one of the more normal of the group..”

He grinned at her. “Thanks.”

Rhona’s eyes widened. “Is that Ota? I thought he was dead..”

“Yuki? Yeah, Branch held him for ten years,” Andy informed.

“I was overjoyed when I heard they had been brought down. They messed with a lot of my patients.”

“Well, you’ll have fun here because Branch screwed most of us up somehow. And now there’s the Testing Bureau who’s just as bad,” Andy sighed. “I seem to be one of their favorite test subjects just like I was with Branch.”

“My office, 9 am.” Rhona nudged her.

She gave a small smile, “At least most people here are only one or two things. Like Arie is a witch and a vamp. Or Tet and Kiba are just shifters. I’m all kinds of fucked up.” She gave a small laugh before glancing at Arie, “That reminds me, I need to tell you something later..” 

Arie raised an eyebrow, “Let me guess, Bureau turned you into something else?”

Andy nodded quietly.

Rhona was quiet as Vasha made his way over. “Gossiping is a bad character trait, girls.”

“Oh, does it matter, though, if we aren’t talking about you?” Andy smirked. 

His eyes twinkled. “In that case, please continue.”

“Anyway, what do you think of the walking dead?” Andy glanced at Arie.

“Zombies? Are you serious?!”

“Unfortunately. Just ask Vasha here, I almost ate him.”

Vasha inclined his head. “To be fair, I insisted.”

Andy chuckled as Arie shook her head. “So what are you now, like 7 different things?”

Andy counted, “If you count all my shifts, yes.”

Rhona raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent.

Andy noticed her look and gave a small smile, “Witch, necromancer, zombie, vamp, panther, snake, and hawk.”

“Wow.” Rhona was quiet for a moment, then asked “Wasn’t the food supposed to be eaten?”

“Right..” Andy chuckled and got into the basket, pulling things out and handing them to the little group.

Rhona shook her head and pointed toward the squad.

Andy looked up and rolled her eyes as she noticed the squad was having a food fight. “I put so much work into making it too..”

“At least they are having fun. And it will make you happy to know the young man from earlier started it.” Rhona chuckled.

Andy grinned, “I’m glad.”

Rhona gave a small smile as a wolf and tiger collapsed in a heap beside Andy.

Andy chuckled, “You guys having fun?”

Tet reverted with a wry chuckle. “The phoenixes showed up and started dive bombing us. Turnabout is fair play.”

She laughed, “Want some food to actually eat?” She held out a sandwich.

“Absolutely. He  _ must  _ be feeling better.” Tet took it and started eating.

“Phoenixes?” Rhona asked in disbelief. “I didn’t think there were any left.”

“Yeah, one of the other sets of twins are phoenixes,” Andy informed.

“And there’s like 4 sets of twins here?” Arie added.

“Now. There were more, but some left the squad.” Tet finished the sandwich, laughing as Kiba gave a snore.

Andy sat down and petted the wolf.

He made a contented noise and snuggled close to her.

Andy smiled softly.

Arie chuckled and headed over to Kenji.

He said something, causing her to laugh. He then kissed her and they walked off down the coastline.

Rhona smiled softly. “Not everyone appears to be hurting.”

Andy nodded, “Thankfully. Plus, it’s a break day. We even take a break from our problems for a bit.” 

“Nice to know.”

“Oh, guys, this is Rhona, by the way. Meet Tet and Kiba.”

Tet gave her a smile while Kiba opened one eye to watch her warily.

“I still don’t bite, Kiba. Have you forgiven me yet?”

Tsukasa closed his eyes and facepalmed. “Shit. I forgot.”

“What happened?” Andy wondered aloud.

_ “She advised against Saka adding me to the squad.” _

“I’m sure she had her reasons,” Andy said quietly. “But what’s important is, he added you anyway.”

Rhona gave a contrite look. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

_ “She’s forgiven, but if she thinks I’m going to lay on her couch, she’s nuts.” _

Andy chuckled softly, “You don’t have to talk to her if you don’t want to. You just have to be civil.”

Kiba reverted, his head in Andy’s lap. “Tell that to Boss.”

Andy glanced up at Tsukasa.

“I won’t force anyone to speak to her.” Tsukasa said quietly. “She’s just an option.”

“See?” Andy said to Kiba as she ran a hand through his hair gently. 

“Alright.” He closed his eyes again.

“I’d rather her be here if anyone needs her than her not be here at all,” Andy said softly. “I’m sure my problems alone will keep her busy.”

Rhona sighed. “I wanted you to stay with the Stalkers. I’m sorry. I just wish you’d been there..” She fought back tears as Kiba’s eyes shot open.

“Rhona, what happened?” He rose and went over to her.

“Touma..he was killed last year..” Rhona lost the fight, tears streaking her cheeks.

Kiba froze. “Oh god. I’m sorry..” He gave Rhona a shaky hug.

Andy watched sadly from her spot on the blanket.

Tsukasa sighed. “Touma was Kiba’s partner before Tet. He was one of the few people Kiba trusted implicitly before us.”

Andy nodded in understanding. 

“I couldn’t even say goodbye,” Rhona was full on sobbing now. “They never recovered his body.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must be,” Andy said quietly.

She shakily drew back and wiped her eyes. “Sorry, everyone.”

“It’s alright. Everyone needs to have the chance to feel their emotions.”

“I don’t know if I can do this.” Rhona vanished as she teleported.

Tsukasa grimaced. “Damn it.”

Andy took a deep breath, “I’ll go talk to her. You guys have fun if you can. I’ll see you back at base.” She focused on Rhona and teleported to her location. 

She was curled up on a hotel bed, tracing a photo.

“Rhona?” Andy said softly. “I just wanted to come check on you.. It’s alright if you aren’t ready to work. But I’d still like to be your friend and be there for you if you need it.”

“We’d been married for five years. I was pregnant, close to delivery. The shock.. I lost the baby.” She stared at the photo.

“That’s terrible,” Andy said quietly as she went a bit closer. She glanced at the picture and froze. “Wait.. can I see that closer?”

Rhona nodded, handing it to her. 

She focused on the face, sure she’d seen it before. “Give me half an hour, okay? Then I’ll be back. I just really need to check on something.” She set the photo down and focused on the mental image of the man. She said the teleportation spell and vanished. 

She found herself in a Bureau building, looking around until she spotted him.

He hissed at her, fangs bared. His red eyes glowed bright.

Andy quickly said a sleeping spell and knocked him out. She then teleported him to the infirmary, grabbing a few bags of blood before teleporting to Rhona’s hotel room.

“He’s been at the Bureau... When you said his body wasn’t found, the thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to say anything. But then the picture, I knew I recognized him...” she laid the man down, “I don’t know what else could be wrong with him, but he was turned, so when he wakes he’ll need blood.”

Rhona looked shell shocked, reaching a shaking hand to his cheek. “How can I repay you?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m here to help people.” She sighed, “Also, I’m going to go back to base.. I don’t want him to freak out if he does recognize me.” She looked down, “I was forced to bite him. They wanted to see what would win out, the zombie or vamp virus.”

Rhona grabbed her hand. “I don’t blame you and I don’t think he will either. I will see you Monday, alright?”

Andy gave her a small smile, “Have fun with him. Call me if you need more blood or if there is something else wrong.”

She nodded. “Take care of your boys.”

Andy nodded and teleported to Kiba and Tet. 

Tet was watching Kiba sleep in their room. “Hey. Is Rhona alright?”

Andy nodded, “You remember those people they made me bite at the Bureau?”

His eyes narrowed. “Yeah..why do I get the feeling this is going to be bad news?”

She shook her head, “Touma was one of them. He’s alive. I went and freed him and took him to her. He’s a vamp now, so I took some blood for him too.”

His eyes widened. “I bet she was shocked.”

Andy nodded, “Yeah.”

Tet chuckled as Kiba groaned softly. “The party is in the rec room. Vasha challenged him to drink his specialty drink.. You see the results.”

Andy laughed quietly, “Alright. I better go make sure he doesn’t give anyone alcohol poisoning.”

“Good idea.”

Andy headed to the rec room, quietly grabbing a drink as she looked around the room.

Vasha gave her a smile as Jun gave her a pleading look.

“What’s up?”

“He’s corrupting the team.” Jun gave the wizard a glare, to which Vasha merely smiled wider.

Andy sipped her drink, “Is that bad?”

“Your wolf is so drunk he couldn’t stand up as are both Ryusei and Yamae.”

Andy gave a small laugh. “Let me try a sip of this thing.”

Vasha handed his drink over.

She took a sip, almost choking. “Damn. How are you not dead?”

“Strong stomach.” Vasha chuckled.

“The ferryman doesn’t want him, more like it.” Jun snarked.

Andy laughed, finishing her own drink before getting another. 

Vasha grinned as he took another drink from his cup.

Ryon was half asleep on one of the couches, Kei supporting him.

Andy went over, “How are you guys?”

Kei laughed. “Ryon drank two of Vasha’s specialties. I think he’ll be miserable tomorrow. I haven’t had a drop, I swear.”

Andy chuckled, “Guess I’ll have to make a lot of hangover medicine tomorrow, huh?”

The earthwitch grinned. “I’m going to put him to bed.” He picked Ryon up and disappeared.

Arie came over and brought a few shots. She smirked at her twin, “You haven’t had enough to drink, loosen up.”

Andy took a couple of the shots with a grin, quickly downing them before finishing the drink she was working on. She grabbed another before giggling.

Arie smiled, “That’s a bit better.”

A few more shots and another drink down, Andy was sitting on a couch just giggling as she watched the rest of the group.

Tet entered the room. He rolled his eyes when he caught sight of her and made his way over. “You’re worse than furball.”

“Nooo.” She laughed. 

He sat down beside her and laid his head on her shoulder.

“Are you hungry? You know what sounds sooo good right now? A huge salad. I wonder how it’d taste with brains instead of chicken...” she then went quiet and looked at the group, “Shhh they don’t know.” She then giggled and glanced back at Tet, “You’re cute. I like you.”

“You definitely need to sleep it off. Come on, darlin. Time for bed.”

“I’m not sleepy though,” she argued. “We need snacks.”

He sighed. “Kitchen?”

“Okay.” She stood and swayed slightly.

Arie noticed her and came back over, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, we’re getting snacks,” Andy grinned before looking thoughtful, “Seriously what do you think? Brains on a salad?”

“I’m not a zombie, hun. That sounds disgusting,” Arie admitted. 

“You know, some people eat like.. cow brains and stuff. It’s not that weird, is it?”

“Still pretty weird,” Arie sighed.

Andy frowned, “I wonder if anyone else eats them?” She then giggled and looked at the group, “Hey guys! I have a question!”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“People eat like.. cow brains? Right? Do you guys? It’s not  _ that  _ weird, right?” She watched them for a moment.

The shifters exchanged glances.

Shouma answered. “If I eat while shifted, I eat everything. Don’t big cats do that too?”

Kenji looked embarrassed. “Oui. We don’t advertise it though.”

“See Arie, not that weird.”

“You want brains on a salad though,” Arie pointed out.

Andy giggled before looking back at the group, “Guysss, I have a secret to tell you. So shhhh.”

Tet facepalmed, shaking his head. “Darlin…”

“I don’t like keeping secrets. It seems mean,” she answered.

“You really want to tell them now?”

“Why not? Why haven’t I told them yet...?” She looked thoughtful before shrugging. She looked at the group, “Those assholes at the Bureau fucked me up more. I’m now a zombie. So you better be good or else I’ll eat you.”

The group stared at her in shock. Both Tet and Vasha cracked up, trying to compose themselves unsuccessfully.

Arie wrapped an arm around Andy, “I think you should go to bed..”

“But it’s snack time..” Andy pouted. “Don’t worry though, I won’t snack on you.”

“Darlin, let’s go to your house, okay? You can snack there.” Tet touched her arm gently.

She nodded, “Okay.” She then looked back at the group and waved, “Night guys! I love you!” She slurred.

Tet murmured the spell and they vanished.

Andy went to her freezer and pulled out a baggie and started eating. She slowed down about halfway through, “Maybe I am kind of tired...”

Tet chuckled softly. “Let’s go to bed, darlin.” He took the bag and placed it back in the freezer, then led her to the bedroom.

She climbed in bed and quickly fell asleep.

In the morning she woke up, head pounding. She got up and took some medicine before working on showering and changing. She then went to wake Tet before teleporting to the base kitchen. She slowly worked on breakfast, knowing at least half the group would be too hungover to cook for themselves.

“Heard you told a secret last night…”

Andy raised an eyebrow and admitted, “Last thing I remember is Arie filling me with shots..Was surprised to wake up at my house and not here..”

Ryon chuckled. “According to Shouma, you not only spilled your secret to the entire group, you threatened to eat them if they were bad.”

Andy turned bright red, “Seriously?”

He nodded, trying to hide an amused smile at her reaction. “Yes.”

“Oh my god.. Why did no one stop me?”

“Tet and Arie did. You insisted, then wanted brains on salad. Tet took you home to eat.”

Andy sighed, “Makes sense.. I have a freezer full of Bureau brains..” she then chuckled, “But brains on salad  _ does  _ sound really good...”

Ryon shook his head in amazement. “By the way, I blame you and Jun for my hangover.”

Andy chuckled softly and handed him a plate, “Eat, you’ll feel better.”

He smiled wryly. “Vasha really is a wizard to withstand that concoction.” He moved to a chair and sat down as Shouma entered.

“I’ve been good, I swear!” He mock pleaded with her.

Andy rolled her eyes and handed him a plate, “I can’t believe I told you guys..”

“You said it was mean to keep secrets.” He chuckled, joining Ryon.

“Guess that’s kind of true.” She grabbed a plate of her own and started eating.

“By the way, Kiba is helping Rhona move into her office. He’s grumbling about moving furniture. She’s got another guy with her too.”

Andy smiled, “I’ll go check on them. Thanks.” She finished her food quickly before heading out to Rhona’s office.

“Stop whining. You’ve been more drunk on patrol.” A deep voice was chastising someone behind the door.

Andy knocked softly and waited.

Rhona opened it with a laugh. “Hey.”

Kiba caught sight of her. “My rescuer!”

Andy smiled, “You missed all the fun last night, Kiba. Apparently I got so drunk I told everyone I’m a zombie and threatened to eat them. Tet then had to take me to my house to eat.”

“Wow. Sorry I missed it, but Vasha tricked me.”

“Quite a few people are hungover because of him.”

“I’d call him evil, but that would hurt his feelings. Unlike Touma here, who doesn’t have any.”

The accused man rolled his eyes. “You’ve gotten lazier.”

“You mean he  _ wasn’t _ always this lazy?” Andy smirked.

“He’s  _ always _ been lazy, but he didn’t use to whine so much.” Touma’s lips quirked.

“I can verify that.” Rhona laughed.

Andy chuckled quietly. 

Touma moved to her side. “Can we talk?”

She nodded, “We can go to my office?”

He nodded and blew a kiss to Rhona before leaving the room.

Andy quietly led him to her office. “I’m Andy, by the way.”

“I remember you.” He held up a hand at her look. “Just let me talk, alright?”

She nodded slowly and sat down.

“I remember what happened. And before you blame yourself, don’t. I know you were forced. And I also know you risked your life to find and rescue me for her. So don’t you play the guilt card on yourself. I’m alive because of you. I’m back with the love of my life. And I have two, no..make that three questions for you.”

“Okay?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Can we be friends?”

Andy looked a bit surprised, “Sure? If you want to.”

He gave her a smile, then continued. “Boss told me you make room assignments. Any rooms with double beds?”

Andy looked thoughtful, “I think we have one for you.”

“Question three. What possesses you to date  _ Kiba _ ?” His smile turned into a grin.

Andy laughed in response.

“Now that the formalities are done, I’m starving. Where’s the kitchen?”

Andy chuckled and led him out to the kitchen door, “There should be breakfast left if the porters haven’t eaten it all. Help yourself.”

“I’ll make lunch. Consider it a sign of thanks.” He went in, loading a plate and sitting down.

“Thank you. Although I hope Tet doesn't get jealous.” Kiba nuzzled the back of her head.

Andy smiled before turning to kiss him. 

“Can I join in?” Tet asked with a smile before pouting. “You left me, darlin.”

“Sorry. Didn’t want the group to starve,” she chuckled before kissing him.

“Unh huh. You know some of them  _ can _ cook.” He turned to Kiba. “I’ll never be jealous of him. If he’d never been there for you, we’d never have found you.”

Kiba turned pink and dropped his eyes.

Andy kissed his cheek, “Now come on, you two should get some food.”

Kiba moved to get a plate as Tet gave her a smile.

“Touma was the one who pushed Kiba to meet Boss the first time. He’d given up on finding Kiba when Touma contacted him and suggested meeting.”

“That’s good,” Andy gave a soft smile as she watched Kiba.

“Not that it was smooth sailing, but Touma set the boat floating.” Tet kissed her cheek and headed in behind Kiba.

“I’ve half a mind to ban Vasha from future parties.” Tsukasa grumbled as he walked up behind her.

“He get you too?” She smirked.

“That drink is a danger to life.” The dragon scowled as he ran a hand through his bedhead.

Andy chuckled, “I got too drunk but not off that.”

“I heard. Why don’t my threats work instead of yours?”

She chuckled, “I still can’t believe I threatened to eat them.”

“Oh, I can.” The dragon laughed. “They know you’ll do it too.”

She smiled in response. “Coffee should be ready for you.”

“You’re too nice.” He headed for the machine.

Andy smiled softly as she watched everyone for a few minutes, then headed to start cleaning up the dishes.


	63. Chapter 63

Andy woke feeling cold and weak. She struggled to get up, but pushed through it, heading to make the group breakfast as usual. She slumped in a chair with her plate, picking at it slowly.

Tsukasa entered, his forehead furrowing in concern as he saw her. “You might want to stay in bed. You don’t look well.”

“Yeah, must have come down with something..”

“Most of the team are gone. Not expecting them back for a while. Get some rest.” The dragon took his coffee and left the kitchen.

She cleaned up a little before heading back to her room.

_ “Darlin? Can you hear me?” _

_ “Tet? Where are you?” _

_ “Waiting to be eaten. Sorry, but Boss should start interviewing replacements.” _

Andy cursed,  _ “Hold on, I’ll be there soon.” _ She focused on Tet and teleported to his location, quickly looking around and taking in the situation.

The team was down, only Tet on his feet. The pallor of his skin frightened her. He looked at her in alarm. “Go back darlin! Get out of here!”

She shook her head and started teleporting the group to the infirmary. 

She came back for Tet before noticing someone in a corner. She glanced at Tet, “What’s going on here? And what was your mission?”

“Destroy Bureau facility filled with vamps and zombies. We were overrun by the vampires. They’re advance troops for the zombies. Weaken us so we’re easy prey. It worked.” He saw where she was looking. “He’s a zombie. Tried to eat Ryu. I shot him.”

Andy shook her head, “They don’t deserve to be killed. It’s not their fault they’re hungry..” 

“They’re danger…” Tet crumpled, blood pulsing through a field dressing on his neck.

Andy teleported him to the infirmary before going back for the zombie. She looked at him, his face covered by his brown hair as he held a bleeding wound. She grabbed him, teleported quickly to her house for some brains, then took him to the infirmary. She put the brains in front of him before saying a few spells to close up the wound. She then went to help care for the others. 

Transfusions were set up for many of them, and multiple spells were muttered to close the myriad of wounds. Once everyone was stabilized, she went back over to the zombie. She noticed the brains were gone and he was now unconscious. She said a few more healing spells quietly.

She felt herself growing weaker by the second and she remembered that she was sick. She moved toward a chair, planning to sit and watch the group but she stopped halfway there, the room spinning around her. She took another few steps before completely collapsing to the floor.

Akasa raced to her side, pausing when he felt her icy skin. He was puzzled by it, given she was flushed as if feverish. “Jun!” 

The necromancer came to their side. “Get her on a bed.” 

Once she was, he enveloped her in blue light. Several minutes passed, then he shook his head. “I can’t fix whatever’s wrong. It makes no sense.”

Andy arched her back as pain shot through her. When it passed she weakly opened her eyes, “Take care of the zombie.. don’t let them kill him..”

“Shhh. Just relax, Andy.” Akasa said softly.

She tried to speak again but fell unconscious before the words came out.

Akasa and Jun exchanged worried looks, then moved into the office to research.

Tet awoke, sliding off the bed and heading for Andy’s. He flinched as he touched her, then froze. “No..oh darlin.” He dizzily headed for their room, digging through his duffle bag. He looked triumphant as he produced a vial and syringe.

He made his way slowly back to her side, shakily drawing up some of the liquid and injecting it. He tried to stay conscious to watch her vitals but the darkness swept him away.

Her vitals increased slightly and she warmed up a bit. Her eyes blinked open and she saw Tet. She got up and went to move him, freezing when she recognized the liquid in the vial in his hand. The symptoms clicked together in her head and she slumped back on the bed.

“Dammit Tet..” Akasa knelt beside him. “What the hell is this?” He took the vial, then noticed the syringe in Andy’s arm. “Did he inject you with this?”

Andy nodded slowly, “It’s a medicine.. It won’t help me very long though. It was complicated enough to fix him, it’d be impossible to fix me..” she looked at Tet sadly.

“You’re not making sense. Why would Tet have something like this?”

“Tet was born a hybrid vampire and shifter. His body couldn’t handle both. The medicine kept him alive longer but he was bound to die, until I managed to rewrite his DNA to be shifter only.” She sighed, “My body can’t handle everything going on in it. The zombie, vamp, and shifter parts aren’t compatible. I’m surprised I managed to stay a vamp and shifter for so long with no problems..” she looked down, “Basically my body is shutting down and there’s really nothing we can do about it.”

“Don’t you dare give up!” Akasa hissed. “The fact this has helped a little means we just need to alter it to your biology. But I  _ will not _ give up, so you better not either. How do you think he’ll react if he wakes up and sees you gave up?”

Andy shrugged slowly before shivering.

Akasa got Tet resituated, then wrapped a blanket around her. “Just rest. We’ll fix this.”

She nodded, laying back on the bed and curling up.

Akasa, Jun and Kei huddled in the lab for hours. Finally they emerged, Akasa going over to Andy and injecting a dark liquid.

Her temperature went up and the shivering and sweating stopped. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

He gave her a small smile. “How do you feel?”

“Better than I was.”

He nodded. “We adapted that serum to your biology. You’ll have to take it until we figure out how to fix you completely. You’re lucky Tet still had it.”

She sighed, “Thank you.” She pushed herself up and went to sit beside Tet.

He was murmuring her name softly, his tone worried. His vitals were erratic and Akasa sighed. “We stabilized him, but it’s still touch and go. Jun had to neutralize a drug in his system that was killing his blood cells.”

Andy nodded, closing her eyes and focusing her energy into him. She increased production of blood cells, helping his body get back to a normal level.

“You should be resting.” Akasa frowned as the zombie awoke.

Andy sighed and went over to the zombie, giving him a small smile, “I’m Andy. You’re safe now.”

He looked at her a moment in confusion, “You guys aren’t safe around me. Why did you bring me here?”

“You aren’t forced to stay,” Andy said softly. “But you are welcome to. Don’t worry, you’ve been fed, you won’t harm us.”

“You don’t know me or what I’ll do.”

“I’m a zombie too. You don’t have to worry.”

“Your friends.. I attacked them..”

“And they’ll understand it wasn’t your fault.”

He looked down, “I’m Hiiro.”

“Nice to meet you and welcome to our base. Just rest a bit more for now, okay? I’ll talk to my boss and get you settled in if you decide you want to stay.”

He nodded slowly, laying back down.

She headed back to the bed she was in earlier and laid down, trying to process everything.


	64. Chapter 64

Rhona entered, making a beeline for where Touma lay. After she spoke to Akasa and kissed her husband’s cheek, she stopped beside Andy’s bed. “You need to talk?”

“I don’t know..” she sighed. “My body can’t handle itself now without medicine to keep me from dying. And when rescuing the team, Tet called the zombies dangerous.. Am I dangerous too? I don’t think it’s their fault, so I rescued one of them.. I hope the team doesn’t hate me for it.”

Rhona gave her a smile. “I don’t believe the team can _ ever  _ hate you. You’ve saved them too many times for them to doubt you. Tet is just afraid of losing you to this new threat. And you know our mad scientists won’t rest until you are well. You need to trust them the way you expect them to trust you.”

Andy nodded slowly before giving a small smile, “Sorry, I probably sound ridiculous right now, don’t I?”

The therapist shook her head. “Your feelings are completely valid. You just need to realize we’re all in this together. It’s not all on your shoulders anymore. That’s the whole reason you hired me, right?”

Andy chuckled softly, “That’s true. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I need to thank you as well. I was terrified of letting Touma go out, afraid I would lose him again. You brought him back to me  _ again _ .”

Andy gave her a smile, “I’m usually the one out saving their asses when they get in trouble. Tet likes to contact me and say he’s going to die or something and then I just go get them and take care of the problem.” She gave a small chuckle, “It’s a surprisingly common occurrence.”

Rhona glanced over at Tet. “Should I be worried he manipulates you easily?”

Andy chuckled again and shook her head, “No.”

Rhona raised an eyebrow with a wry look. “Alright. Is he hurt badly?”

“He had been in pretty bad shape but we took care of him. He just needs rest now.”

She nodded. “I’ll let you rest now. If you need to talk more, you know where to find me.” She left the infirmary.

Andy sighed, laying back on the pillow before falling asleep.

Akasa’s alarmed voice woke her. 

“Get the restraints on him. Rhona, give the shot before he attacks again!”

“What’s going on?” Andy sat up confused.

“Sorry for waking you.” The nurse sighed as he lay a limp Kiba down. Kei finished restraining the wolf as Akasa moved to her side.

“His mission went bad. He’s not in control. Jun found him at the exfil location and barely managed to get him here. No idea what happened.”

Andy sighed, “Is there anything you need me to do?”

“I’ll take care of it. Your job is to rest.”

She sighed, “I’m feeling better now. I can’t rest forever, right?”

He gave a small chuckle. “You’re the one most acquainted with his history. If he saw someone that was directly related to his history with Branch, would he run or attack?” 

She looked thoughtful, “I think it’d depend on who it was exactly, like what they did to him.” 

“The scientist in charge of him from his childhood.” Akasa said quietly.

“Ah, I see why he would be freaking out.”

“Why would he attack Jun though? And I don’t mean simple fists. I mean he shifted and tried to  _ kill _ him.”

“Did you guys make sure he doesn’t have anything strange in his system?”

“We didn’t find anything. Jun said he muttered something about a migraine right before he shifted.”

Andy’s eyes narrowed and she tried to think of any connection. She sighed, pushing herself up and sitting beside Kiba. 

The mention of migraines was familiar to her and she tried to remember why. She then thought of Tsukasa when he was under control. She used multiple spells, trying to make sure she found one that would break the control. She then waited for him to wake.

Kiba jerked awake, his eyes growing frightened when he realized he was restrained. “Why? What did I do?”

“Shh, it’s alright,” Andy said softly. “I think you were under someone’s control. How are you feeling now?”

“Foggy. Can’t remember..” He squeezed his eyes shut. “There was a light..and a voice that wouldn’t shut up..”

“Okay. That could have been who was controlling you.”

He stared at her. “What aren’t you telling me?” He paled. “Did I kill someone?”

“You didn’t kill anyone. You did attack Jun though,” Andy said quietly. “But it’s not your fault.”

“I disobeyed orders. I was supposed to kill him. I wanted to hurt him instead..he got free and Jun paid for it…” Kiba tore loose from the restraints and bolted past her and out the door.

Andy closed her eyes for a moment before going to begin her search for him. She searched their room first before heading down to the bunker, “Kiba?” After finding that he wasn’t there either, she focused on him, teleporting to his location.

He was standing on the cliff, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

“Kiba? It’s alright. No one is blaming you. It’s understandable you’d want to hurt him, okay? Jun’s going to be alright so don’t worry about that either.” She spoke softly, slowly inching closer, “I love you, Kiba.”

“I couldn’t focus..All I could see were the memories. I thought the bastard was already dead, but demons don’t die apparently..” He laughed bitterly. “He didn’t recognize me at first. I’ve seen his face in my head for over twenty years, but he didn’t know mine. When he did, he kept laughing. Like he knew something I didn’t.”

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “And you’ve been through a lot, it’s understandable you’d have issues with focus and bad memories.” She got to him and gently wrapped her arms around him.

“He’s still out there. I’ve got to stop him. The only thing I remember clearly is he didn’t want me. He wants Tet. He was using me to get him. He kept telling me something about bringing Tet somewhere.  _ I won’t do it! _ I won’t listen to him..I have to get him out of my head without hurting any of you. Go back to base and protect Tet.” Kiba put one hand to his head as his other reached for something in his jacket.

“Kiba, I can help you take him out. We can protect Tet together, okay?”

“Who will protect you?” His voice changed and he turned to face her, a pistol in his hand.

Andy muttered a couple spells, trying to get Kiba back to normal.

His hand shook, his eyes terrified. “I’m sorry..” He swung the pistol up to his head and fired. His body tumbled backwards, falling from the cliff silently.

Andy quickly jumped after him, shifting into hawk form and grabbing onto him. She said the teleportation spell, landing them in the infirmary. She reverted and got him into a bed, quickly working to heal up and close the wounds. She spent a long time making sure he was healing and stable before restraining him again. She then headed to Tsukasa’s office, hoping he’d have what she was looking for.

“Andy? I thought you were sick in the infirmary.” Tsukasa studied her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you have a picture of the scientist Kiba was going after?”

He handed it over slowly, his eyes flickering. “Something went wrong, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it did. But I’m trying to take care of it,” she answered, studying the picture. She focused on the scientist’s face before saying the teleportation spell to get to his location.

He was tinkering with a laser beam when she materialized. A slow smile appeared on his face as he recognized her. “It is a lucky day! First I take care of that annoying wolf, now you appear. Let me guess, he lost control? How many did he kill? It’s alright, I’ll just read your memories for the details.”

She growled at him, racing forward to claw at him.

He laughed, raising his hand and throwing her into a wall telekinetically.

She pushed herself up, beginning to mutter a spell.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You _ are  _ determined aren’t you? That’s good. I can use that.”

She finished the spell which should have knocked him unconscious. She frowned, confused why it didn’t work.

“Natural immunity. I can’t be controlled.” He began to approach, restraints in hand.

She changed quickly, slithering toward him and biting onto his leg.

He screamed, the restraints dropping as her venom coursed through him. He sank to his knees, shaking.

She changed back, “I’m not letting you hurt anyone again.”

His eyes closed and he toppled to the side.

Andy bit into him again, draining his blood before ripping into his head with her claws and feeding on him. She wiped her mouth as she stood, then said a spell to set the room on fire.

After a minute, she headed back to the infirmary, sitting beside Kiba.

“Stop..don’t hurt them…” Kiba tossed his head back and forth, his voice anguished. “I’ll take the medicine, just stop hurting them…”

Andy shook him gently, “Kiba, wake up. Everything is alright.” 

His eyes opened in confusion. “He’s going to use me again..I don’t want him to hurt you..”

“He can’t use you. He’s dead.”

The wolf froze, his eyes wide. “He’s dead? How?”

“I killed him.”

He nodded slowly. “Good. But you shouldn't have had to do it. It was my screw up. You should have let me die.” He turned his face away from her.

“I’m not just going to let you die. I love you and care about you,” she said softly. “And my job seems to be helping when missions go bad, so it seemed like it fit in with that.” She sighed, “Seriously, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I attacked Jun. I almost shot you! If I had gotten to Tet, who knows what would have happened..”

“ _ It is not your fault.” _ Andy emphasized.

Kiba stayed silent, his face still staring at the wall.

She sighed, moving over to kiss him gently. She went back to her seat, holding onto the bed as she had a slight wave of dizziness.

“Darlin?” Tet moved to her side.

“Hey,” she gave him a small smile, “I’m fine. They made me a medicine to help with everything, so I just have to take that everyday until we can find some way to fix me..”

He let out a relieved sigh. “When I saw you like that, my heart dropped.”

“Sorry.. didn’t mean to worry you.”

Tet looked at Kiba. “What’s with him?”

“He’s blaming himself for stupid shit again.” 

“It  _ is _ a day ending in y.” Tet leaned over and kissed his head.

“Been too focused on trying to help him for the last few hours to think about anything else. Akasa keeps telling me to rest though,” she chuckled softly. “Hope he doesn’t get too mad at me for ignoring him more.”

“He’ll get over it. Rest in our room?”

“I don’t want to leave him.. but I don’t know what else to do to help. I feel useless.”

“Just let him alone for a while. I’ve had to do that a few times over the years.”

Andy sighed, kissing Kiba’s forehead, “I love you.” She turned away, glancing over and checking to make sure Hiiro was still asleep.

“Stop worrying. Just rest with me.” Tet took her hand, leading her to their room.

She laid down, curling up against him. 

He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

She slept a few hours before waking again, reaching over and kissing his cheek before climbing out of bed.

He smiled but didn’t wake.

She headed back to the infirmary, giving Akasa a small smile as she entered.

“Everyone has been released aside from your zombie.”

“How was Kiba doing?”

“Quiet, but rational. Heard he went straight to Boss’ office.”

Andy sighed, “That doesn’t sound the best.. hope he’s okay.” She moved over to Hiiro. “Hey.”

“Hi,” he said quietly.

“Have you thought about staying?”

“I have nowhere to go,” he admitted.

“Like a lot of people around here.. I’ll talk to our boss and see if there’s a spot for you around here.” She headed to Tsukasa’s office.

He was staring quietly out the window, Daiki sitting beside him. He gave her a faint smile when she entered. “You look better.”

“I’ve had some rest. And the others made me medicine to help with my illness.” She said quietly. “I  _ may  _ have picked up another stray. Any chance we have more room?”

“We just got an opening.” His lips quirked, “So you found a lunch date?”

She rolled her eyes in response before giving a small chuckle.

“He can take this room.” Daiki scribbled a number on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She then went quieter, “I heard Kiba came by? Is he doing any better?”

“He left.” The dragon’s voice was quiet.

Andy growled, “What did he say?”

“That he needed some time. He asked that no one contact him. He said he’d be back when he was ready.”

Andy sighed, “Alright...” 

“Anything else?” 

“That’s it. Thanks,” she said quietly before slipping out the door.

She went and showed Hiiro to his new room then went back to their room and crawled back into bed.

“You okay?” Tet asked softly.

“Apparently Kiba left saying he needed time and for no one to contact him,” she admitted. 

“That’s the second time now. He did that when Boss first approached him about joining too.” 

She sighed, “I hope he’s okay.”

“He was gone for two months, came back and told Boss he was going to have his job one day.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before shivering. “Is it cold in here or just me?” 

“Time for meds.” Tet sat up.

She sighed, “What are we going to do if they can’t fix me?”

“We’ll deal with it. You aren’t alone. I’m not going anywhere. Now where’s your stuff?”

“Infirmary,” she sighed and pushed herself up, swaying slightly.

“Stay put. I’ll get it.” Tet left the room.

Five minutes later he returned, injecting Andy with the medicine. “I was wondering, why you never used the spell on yourself that you used on me?”

“Which one?” She raised an eyebrow.

“To get rid of my vampire side.”

Andy nodded, “Your DNA had two strains, the vampire side and the shifter side. It was easier to differentiate because I had samples of both regular shifter and regular vampire DNA. Now mine is a lot more complicated. I’ve been unable to identify necromancer qualities in DNA, but the witch part is identifiable. I’d have to work on taking out just a part of it vs a whole half, which ends up being more complicated. Along with that, it’s hard enough to place a regular spell on yourself, it’s almost impossible to work seal spells and things that take that much focus.” She sighed, “And I wasn’t having any physical issues with being a shifter and vamp like you were. I guess becoming a zombie just was a bit too much for me.” She looked down, “So now not only do I rely on blood, brains, and regular food, I have to rely on constant medicine..”

“Can’t you just isolate the zombie virus?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“I’m sure your new friend will help.”

She nodded slowly, “I’ll work on it starting tomorrow.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Just relax. We’ll work this out just like we always do. Together.”

“But we’re missing one of our group..” Andy said quietly before trying to relax her shoulders, “Sorry.”

He gave her a soft smile. “Stop apologizing. I’m worried too, but he  _ is _ an adult. Contrary to how he acts ninety percent of the time. You just have to trust him.”

Andy nodded, “I just worry, you know? Who knows what could happen..”

“Believe me, I know. I’ve been his partner for a long time.” Tet sighed. “As long as he doesn’t bring a baby hound back with him, I think it’ll be okay.”

She gave a small chuckle and nodded. 

“Now let’s get some sleep.”

She nodded, ending up hugging Kiba’s pillow.

The next few days she worked in her office, running tests and trying to figure out the differences in DNA. 

She gave up for the day, heading out of her office and going down to Hiiro’s room.

She knocked on the door and waited.

Hiiro opened the door, raising an eyebrow when he saw her, “Can I help you?”

“Just wondered if you’d want to hang out for a bit?”

He sighed before shrugging, “I guess I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Do you like bookstores?”

“Books would give me something to do.”

“Come on then, I’ll take you to the best bookstore around,” she smiled.

He followed her to her car and climbed in quietly. After a few minutes he asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Trying to spend time with me? You have other things to do, don’t you?”

“I like to get to know everyone around here and become friends with them.”

He nodded slowly, “Even though I’m a zombie?”

“I’m one too, remember? Don’t worry.”

“I don’t know if your teammates like me..”

Andy rolled her eyes, “They’ll get used to you if they don’t already like you. So what do you do? Where do you come from?”

“I’d been working as a military medic for a while,” he admitted. 

“Oh, you can definitely help out in the infirmary then.”

“My whole squad was taken by Bureau and turned. Most were killed in experiments though.”

Andy sighed, “That must be hard. I’m sorry to hear that.”

He nodded slowly, “I was one of the first turned, they set me on the squad...”

Andy winced, “The Bureau is really evil.”

She pulled up to the bookstore, exiting her car and waiting for him to follow. 

She entered and gave Vasha a smile.

“Welcome, Andy. Who is your friend?”

“This is Hiiro.”

Hiiro gave Vasha a small smile, “Hi.”

“Welcome, Hiiro. May you find what you are looking for.”

He nodded slowly and started looking around. 

Andy looked at Vasha, “How have you been doing?”

“I am well. I have something for you.” He disappeared into the back, returning with a cloth bag. “Kiba requested I give this to you.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, looking in the bag.

A purple ring glinted in the light.

She froze, tears filling her eyes. “Oh.”

“He said he wished you to hold it for safekeeping.”

Andy nodded slowly, slipping the bag into her pocket quietly.

“I know you believe he ran away. But he did not. His thoughts are only of you and finding something to aid you.” Vasha gazed into her eyes. “His love remains true.”

“Something to aid me?”

The wizard nodded. “He would not discuss it further.”

Andy nodded slowly again. “Thank you.”

Vasha bowed and left them alone.

Andy browsed for a bit, not really finding anything. Hiiro picked out a few books and went to pay. 

They left the shop and got back into the car. On the way home, Andy noticed someone following close behind her. Soon, her car was rammed and they spun off the road. She slammed her head against the side window as the car ran into a fence. She weakly looked up and tried to check on Hiiro but felt herself being pulled out of the car. 

Both her and Hiiro were thrown into a van. She checked on the unconscious zombie, making sure he wasn’t badly injured. 

What felt like hours passed as the van drove. Finally, it stopped and they were pulled out. She tried to fight them off but couldn’t.

“Yeah, those two will definitely be crowd pleasers tonight,” one man grinned evilly.

Andy looked up, trying to figure out where they were. She found herself being dragged into an arena. She was thrown into a small cell while Hiiro was thrown in another.

Eventually, Hiiro awoke and he looked confused and alarmed at their situation.

“Good to see you up,” someone spoke from across the room. He approached the cells with a cold smile, “You two will be our headliners tonight.”

“Headliners?” Andy asked.

“In a fight. You’re given a drug to drive you crazy and you fight to the death. The zombie who wins gets to live to fight another day.”

“I’m not fighting anyone,” Hiiro announced.

“You won’t have a choice once the drug is in your body. All you’ll know is your hunger.”

Andy growled but didn’t say anything. The man left, leaving Hiiro and Andy to sit in silence. 

More hours passed as they sat there, occasionally saying something quietly to the other, but mostly just trying to figure a way out. 

Andy cursed as she felt herself get dizzy. She checked her pockets and realized she left her medicine at home. She sighed, trying to think of a way to get them to safety. If she started getting worse, she’d be useless to him.

Slowly, the arena started filling with people, crowds filling in the seats. 

One of the men came back and grabbed their arms, injecting them with the drug. 

Andy growled, feeling herself growing hungry while also getting a bit weaker. She started to shiver, “Hiiro.. I’m sorry I don’t know how to get you out of here.”

“It’s not like you put me here,” he answered. “It’s not all on you to get me out.” He felt like he was slowly losing himself.

“Good luck. You’ll probably win if I keep feeling worse,” Andy admitted.

“You’re more than just a zombie, you definitely have the upperhand.”

“I’ve had this drug before. It won’t matter much once the hunger takes over. We’ll just be mindlessly fighting each other.”

Hiiro sighed, “Well, thank you for the rescue from Bureau. At least I won’t die in there..”

“Here isn’t much better though, is it?”

They went quiet, fighting the hunger off as long as they could.

Finally, they were at the bars of the cages, trying to get at the other. That’s when the man laughed at them, “You zombies are all the same. All you are is your hunger.” He left, then the cages were slowly lifted from the ceiling. 

Andy and Hiiro pounced at each other, trying to get bites in. Andy sliced at him with her claws as he bit onto her arm. She kicked him off before biting his neck. She started drinking his blood and he quickly weakened. He managed to bite onto her head, making her scream and let go. 

Blood covered both of them as they continued trading bite marks. Hiiro was weakening from the blood lost to Andy and Andy was weakening as her illness took over. She was getting cold and dizzy but her hunger made her keep trying to get Hiiro.

The lights suddenly went out and there was rapid gunfire around the two zombies. There was the pinch of a needle in Andy’s neck.

She felt her hunger dissolving and she looked around in confusion.

An emergency generator kicked on and she saw a familiar pair of brown eyes watching her.

She paused and looked at him for a minute before looking over at Hiiro. She rushed to his side and started saying spells to start healing him.

Kiba sighed and kept watch for any more enemies.

Andy finished closing up Hiiro’s wounds and stood, swaying.

Kiba quietly reapproached her, pulling a syringe of her medicine out of his jacket and injecting her before beginning to walk away.

“Kiba?” Andy said quietly.

“I know you probably don’t want to see me. I’m just glad I got free in time to save the two of you.”

“Don’t want to see you? Kiba, all I’ve been doing is thinking about you and worrying if you’re okay. Of course I want to see you.” She went quiet, “I understand if you feel you need to leave though.”

“I don’t want to..” His voice was low. “I found what you need to be well in this facility. They took it when they captured me.” He looked dully at his blood coated hand before his knees buckled and he hit the floor.

“I’ll be alright,” Andy said quietly as she went to kneel beside him. She moved him before teleporting him and Hiiro to the infirmary. She worked on healing before sitting down beside him. She ignored her own injuries, not wanting to leave his side.

Akasa growled before reciting spells over her. “You just can’t stop self sacrificing huh?”

She looked up, “I just worry about him..”

“And we worry about you.” The nurse finished the spells. “He looks like shit. It’s been less than a damn week.”

Andy sighed, “I know.” 

Tet entered cautiously, then froze. “My god, you found him?”

“He found us actually,” Andy admitted. 

“What?” Tet gently touched Kiba’s cheek.

“Hiiro and I were taken.. Zombie fighting arena.. He came and saved us.”

“And nearly got himself killed again, right?”

Andy shrugged, “I don’t know what happened to him exactly.”

“He’s in here.  _ Again _ . Think it’s fair to say he’s not healthy.”

“I’m fine.” Kiba sat up slowly.

Andy sighed, “No you’re not.”

Tet placed his hands on the wolf’s shoulders. “It’s good to see you. Not in this condition, but we’ve missed you, furball.”

“Yeah, we’ve missed you a lot,” Andy said quietly. 

He hung his head. “You’re not angry?”

“No, why would we be?”

“I left? I told everyone to leave me alone?” He looked at her through his bangs. “I shot myself?”

“Part of me worried I did something wrong to make you leave...” Andy admitted quietly. “But overall, I was just worried about you.”

He shook his head rapidly. “It’s not anything you did.”

Tet smiled softly. “Now that furball is home, I have to go. I’ll be back in a few days. You both better be here.”

Andy frowned, “Where are you going?”

“Mission. Don’t worry, I’m not going alone.” He kissed them both and left.

Andy sighed, hoping he would be safe.


	65. Chapter 65

“ANDY! Report to the infirmary at once. Multiple casualties!” Akasa’s voice rang out through her radio.

Andy sighed, quickly running to the infirmary and taking in the situation.

Jun was muttering spells over a barely breathing Ryon as Kei was working on Shouma. Akasa was staunching a stomach wound on Tet as he muttered more spells rapidly over another neck wound.

“Touma needs help.” Akasa barely paused to speak to her.

Andy rushed to Touma’s side and checked him over. He was struggling to breathe and was bleeding heavily from a wound on his chest. She quickly started muttering spells, working to sew up the wound. She spent a while longer on him then moved away to help the others.

“I need a ventilator set up!” Akasa was frantically performing cpr on Tet.

Andy went to him, pushing energy into Tet to try to help keep him alive. She worked on healing his wounds, muttering spells and grabbing the stuff for the ventilator.

“He’s not breathing on his own. The bullet bounced around his neck before exiting.” Akasa quickly got it set up and attached it to Tet. The nurse sat down hard, looking grave. “My scans are showing massive damage.”

Andy nodded, standing over Tet and continuing to push energy into him along with muttering more spells. After an hour, she moved to sit down, staring at Tet worriedly. “He’s doing a lot better but he’s still not perfect.”

Akasa nodded as Kei moved over to them. “Shouma is stable. Ryon is touch and go right now. How’s Touma?”

“Touma should be fine after rest,” Andy informed. 

The earthwitch nodded, then left the infirmary.

Kiba raced in, skidding to a stop as he saw Tet. “No…”

Andy put a hand on his arm, “Tet’s doing better than he had been. Don’t give up hope yet.”

“He looks so helpless…” Kiba tried not to cry.

“I know,” Andy sighed, “I’m going to work on him more, I just needed a break.”

Kiba nodded slowly, then turned and left the room.

Andy sighed, pushing herself up and beginning to work on Tet again. She stood there for a few more hours, working on healing more damage. She finally stepped away, swaying.

Akasa grabbed her. “You need to go rest in your room. That’s an order.”

She sighed, wanting to argue.

Akasa glared at her. “You are still ill. I wouldn’t have called except that Touma would have died otherwise. Now, if you argue, you’ll be banned from here.”

“Just because I’m ill doesn’t make me useless,” Andy growled before heading out of the infirmary.

Tsukasa was waiting in the hall. “You okay?”

“Worried about Tet mostly. Also kind of upset that Akasa acts like just because I have an illness, I can’t do much,” she admitted.

“You know he’s only trying to keep you from ending up in the infirmary yourself,” The dragon said with a soft smile. Then he grew serious. “How bad is it?”

“Most are stable, Tet is doing a lot better than he had been but he’s still pretty serious.”

“Do you have any idea what happened? Have any of them said anything?”

“They haven’t woken yet.”

The dragon cursed. “Thanks.” He headed down the hall. 

Andy sighed, heading to their room.

Kiba was curled on the bed, one arm clutching Tet’s pillow as he stared into space.

Andy moved to his side and wrapped her arms around him. 

“He’s going to die, isn’t he?” Kiba’s voice was faint and lost sounding.

“You know we’ll do everything to keep him alive,” Andy said softly. 

Kiba nodded silently, clutching the pillow tighter. 

Andy sighed, “We’ll get through this, no matter what happens. But I’m not going to let him die.” She kissed his cheek.

He leaned into her touch. “I’m tired..”

“Just rest, okay?” she said softly. 

He closed his eyes slowly, his breaths evening out. His grip on the pillow didn’t loosen.

She sighed, relaxing next to him and trying to get to sleep. Eventually, she did manage to pass out, her exhaustion from healing taking over. 

When she woke up, she looked over at Kiba quietly.

He hadn’t stirred, his breathing slow and steady.

She sighed, getting up and injecting her arm with her medicine. She then headed back to the infirmary.

Akasa gave her an exhausted smile. “You look much better.” He was holding several scans.

“How is everyone doing?” 

“Touma and Shouma were discharged a hour ago. Ryon regained consciousness, but I’m going to keep him till morning to be safe. Tet.. do you ever wonder if you went into the wrong line of work?”

She sighed, “That bad still?”

“He’s worse. Coded three times while you were sleeping. His ECG is almost as flat as this table. I thought I had gotten the head injury healed, but apparently it was worse than I realized. His spinal nerves are completely unresponsive and his neck nerves are almost as bad. He still can’t breathe on his own even with Jun and I working on him.”

Andy took a deep breath, trying to not start crying. She went to Tet’s side and pushed energy into him. Silver light covered him as she worked.

Akasa watched her from his seat. “ _ If _ he survives, he’ll probably be a quadriplegic. He’ll have brain damage more than likely as well. It might be better to let him go.”

Tears streamed down her face as she continued to work in silence. 

Akasa finally rose and moved to her side. “You know he wouldn’t want to live that way.”

“If I try hard enough, maybe I can help him..”

The nurse gently took her in his arms. “There are some things you can’t fix, Andy. It’s a lesson you should know already.”

She let out a sob, “I can’t lose him..” she took a deep breath, “I told Kiba I’d do whatever I could to keep Tet alive.. I can’t face him if Tet doesn’t make it..”

Akasa sighed. “I saw his face, Andy. He already knew. He won’t blame you.”

Andy nodded slowly, staring blankly at the floor.

“Do you want to turn them off? Or do you want me to do it?”

“I can’t...” Andy disappeared out of the infirmary, sliding down the wall.

Akasa sighed, going back into the office and slamming the door. 

She sobbed, curling up into herself. 

“Dear child, what has happened?” Vasha’s soft voice spoke in front of her as his arms encircled her.

“It’s Tet.. he was hurt really badly and it doesn't seem like he’ll make it..”

“Show me.”

Andy pushed herself up slowly, heading into the infirmary.

He followed her inside, not speaking as he saw Tet.

“I’ve tried healing him using spells and my powers but he’s not really improving.”

Vasha extended his hand and examined Tet. After a moment, he looked at her. “Do you know the law of transference, child?”

She frowned, shaking her head.

“A person with power can do miraculous things. I have the power to heal Tet, but it will come at a great cost. Are you willing to accept?”

“Great cost?” Andy raised an eyebrow.

“A life for a life.” Vasha calmly watched her.

Andy looked at him, “I’d give my life for his, as long as there’s no cost to you.”

He gave her a gentle look. “The power user always bears the cost, child. But I know you would. That is why I gladly do this.” He extended both hands and sent his power into Tet.

“Vasha, don’t do anything that would cause you harm. Can’t you teach me what to do instead?” She said quickly.

“You haven’t the power right now. In two hundred years, possibly.” Vasha’s voice was shaky as he continued to pour power into Tet’s broken body. “I have been honored to spend time with you. Stephen would be proud of you and Arie, as am I.” He gave her another soft smile as his power flared brightly, then blinked out. He tumbled backwards into her arms.

“Vasha...” she said quietly, tears in her eyes.

He gently brushed her cheek with a shaking hand. “I have no regrets..” His eyes fluttered closed and he slumped into her chest.

She sobbed, trying to push energy into him. After a long time of nothing happening, she moved, putting him gently on a bed before calling Jun down to help.

Jun’s eyes went wide as he entered. “What happened?”

“He saved Tet... I told him not to do anything that’d hurt himself but he wouldn’t listen..”

Jun nodded, moving to Vasha’s side. “Are you going to take his brain? I will prepare the burial after.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Can we try to revive him together? Just.. to make sure?”

“As you wish.” Jun bowed his head.

Andy began pushing gold energy into Vasha.

Jun added his blue light, murmuring quietly.

Andy continued to focus, pushing as much energy as she could.

Vasha’s body began to glow.

Andy watched with a hopeful look, praying he’d revive.

The glow faded, his eyes slowly opening in surprise. “Child, I thought we had agreed?”

“I’m not just letting you die,” Andy answered.

Vasha looked at her quietly. “You are too gentle for the ways of magick. I am in your debt once more.”

She shook her head at him before moving over to check on Tet.

His eyes were open and panicked as he fought the breathing tube.

Andy quickly removed it for him and gave him a small smile.

“I was sure I was dead...How?”

“Vasha helped heal you.”

He looked over at the wizard. “I’m grateful. Is he alright?”

“He should be now.”

Jun looked at Tet. “You have to stop taking years off our lives, Stripes.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before kissing Tet’s cheek, “I really thought we were going to lose you. I better go tell Kiba you’re okay.”

“Sorry. Is he alright?” Tet slowly sat up.

“He was pretty upset,” Andy admitted.

The tiger attempted to climb out of bed. “I want to see him.”

“I’ll bring him to you. Just rest.”

He gave her a wry look, but stopped moving. “Alright.”

Andy headed down to their room to look for Kiba.

He wasn’t there. There was a small go bag missing from beside the bed.

Andy sighed, focusing on him and teleporting to his location.

He was focusing a sniper rifle on a shooting range, a pair of headphones over his ears.

_ “Kiba?”  _

_ “What’s up?”  _ His focus didn’t waver as he fired at the target.

_ “Tet’s doing a lot better, he’s up and wants to see you.” _

He froze, his eyes darting to her. “Why?”

“Probably because he loves you and knows you were worried about him?”

“It was my intel that almost killed him.” Kiba took a deep breath and returned to the rifle, firing once again. “If he wants to see me, it’s probably to knock my teeth out.”

“You know he’s not like that.” She answered. “And you should know he wouldn’t blame you.”

“What about you? You were a mess cause I fucked up again..”

“You know, you really don’t know me well enough if you think I’d blame you.”

A small smile flitted over his face. “How have you managed to not blame anyone for their screw ups? Anyone else would have ripped me a new one.”

“Everyone messed up, even me. It happens. It’s better to just accept it and move on. Plus, you should know I place the blame on the people who  _ actually  _ do the hurting.”

He lay the rifle down, then lay his head to rest on his arm. “I was sure you were here to tell me..and I felt like a coward for not being there..”

“Everyone deals with things differently. The way you deal doesn’t make you a coward, okay?” She said softly.

He laughed bitterly. “I talk about family, but can’t even stick around when he’s hurt. I’m a joke.”

Andy came and wrapped her arms around him, “It’s  _ because  _ you care so much that you can’t handle being there. You hate to see him like that. It’s perfectly normal.”

He leaned on her shoulder. “How bad is he? I mean, I know you said he’s awake, but what’s the damage?”

“Vasha was the one that healed him, so he’s doing really well. He still needs to rest but I think he’ll be alright and back to normal soon.”

Kiba let out a quiet sob of relief.

_ “ANDY!! We need help!” _ Ryusei’s voice was panicked.

Andy looked surprised for a moment, “Something’s wrong. I need to go help Ryu.” She kissed Kiba’s cheek before disappearing. She reappeared beside Ryusei, looking around to see what was happening.

Yoshi was facing her, back to back with Rei. He held a machine gun, calmly firing into the hall.

The sound was echoed as Rei fired into the kitchen. There were other gunshots coming from further down the hall.

“They were normal, then started shooting..” Ryusei was trembling, one leg bleeding heavily.

Andy quickly said a sleeping spell, knocking Rei and Yoshi to the ground. She said a few spells to help Ryusei before running to see where the other shots were coming from.

Ryon held a pistol which he aimed at her as he stood above an unmoving Kei. Rhona was visible lying motionless behind the porter. His eyes were blank, his finger tightening on the trigger.

“Ryon?” She said softly, preparing to say the sleeping spell on him.

He whirled, firing behind him as Leo and Jade tried to ambush him. Leo dodged, Jade going down in a spray of blood.

Andy said the sleeping spell, Ryon dropping to the floor. She looked at Leo, “Get him, Rei, and Yoshi to the infirmary and restrain them.”

Leo nodded, quickly following her instructions.

Andy went to Jade, starting to mutter spells to try to keep him alive. After about twenty minutes, she moved him to the infirmary. She then went through and found all the injured and dead, moving everyone to the infirmary. She worked on the living, healing them up before moving to the dead. She healed their wounds and did transfusions before showering them in gold light. It took a while but finally everyone was alive. 

She looked over at the three restrained and studied them, trying to figure out what happened.

Tsukasa stalked into the room, smoke trailing. “Why the fuck did three of the squad just go insane on us?”

Andy shook her head, “Ryon’s eyes were blank. It’s like he wasn’t in control. I’m just not sure who  _ was _ in control..”

“Bureau? Or a new enemy?” The dragon gritted his teeth.

“I might be able to do a spell to see. It’ll just take a few minutes.” She grabbed a piece of paper and started writing. When she was done, she went to Ryon and muttered the words, closing her eyes and focusing on what images came to her. She saw someone who was unfamiliar to her. 

She opened her eyes, “I’m going to go after whoever this is. I don’t recognize him. If I’m not back in an hour, send someone after me?”

Tsukasa’s eyes went wide. “Are you  _ nuts _ ?! What if what happened to them happens to you? We can’t defend against you…”

Andy smirked for a moment, “Oh you can’t?” She then sobered, “Someone has to take him out, right? Or who knows who he’ll take over next.”

Tsukasa scowled. “Be fucking careful.”

“I’ll keep you updated, okay? You’ll know if it goes bad.” She focused on the man in the vision and teleported. 

“I was expecting you. You’re a bit earlier than I guessed though,” the man smirked. 

“Who are you?”

“It won’t matter, you’ll soon be dead,” he answered before beginning to mutter a spell.

Andy growled, starting her own spell.

They both paused when a scientist entered the room. 

Andy’s eyes narrowed and she recognized the Bureau symbol on his coat.

“The Bureau has magic users?” Andy shook her head before finishing the spell. The magic user quickly held up a hand, a barrier appearing.

“With their help, I’ve been able to gain even more power than before! They’ve been more valuable in a few weeks than anyone has in the last hundred years. And once you and your squad are gone, they won’t have any opposition and can keep helping me.” He grinned evilly.

The scientist watched them quietly for a few minutes. 

_ “Tsukasa, he’s a magic user working with Bureau.” _

_ “Shit. We have another problem.. Yuki and Kenji haven’t returned.” _

“ _ You think Bureau took them?” _

_ “Kiba says all their stuff is still in the hotel room they were using. I’m pretty sure they didn’t just vanish..” _

Andy growled, pouncing at the magician. She sliced at him with her claws, finally getting a hit in.

He quickly pushed her back with more barriers, starting a spell.

She felt a prick in her arm and looked over, the scientist now beside her injecting a syringe full of liquid into her.

The wizard growled, “Are you trying to make it harder for me?”

“Just doing my job,” the scientist moved out of the room. Andy saw him standing outside the room, staring in through a window.

Andy cursed as she felt herself growing hungry. 

_ “I’ll try to find them when I’m done with this wizard.  _ **_If_ ** _ I’m with it. I might go full on zombie mode because they injected me with that fucking drug again.” _

_ “I’m sending reinforcements.” _

_ “Just make sure I don’t eat them.” _

She looked at the wizard who was smirking at her. Her eyes narrowed for a moment before lunging at him again. 

He threw up more barriers, “You’ll never get to me like that.”

Andy jumped back as he stabbed out with a dagger. She narrowly missed, barely keeping her balance. He tried to approach her and she backed away, muttering more spells. They went back and forth for a while before she realized he was just toying with her.

Her hunger was growing and she was finding it increasingly more difficult to focus on the spells she was trying to perform. Finally, she remembered a spell to help break barriers. 

She moved closer, quickly muttering it before pouncing again. She felt the dagger stab into her stomach but she continued moving, clawing at him. She finally bit into him before fully shifting into her panther form. She tore him apart, his screams quickly dying out. She lost all control, focusing on feeding.

When she was done, she backed away, her senses starting to come back. She felt strange but wasn’t sure if it was due to the drug or the blood loss from the wound in her stomach.

She fell backwards to the floor, pulling out the dagger and trying to staunch the flow of blood.

The door flew open, Jun appearing beside her. He quickly recited a healing spell as sounds of growling were heard from the hall.

“What’s the situation?” Andy asked quietly.

“Bureau bastard released a hound. Kiba and Yamae are fighting it and him.”

Andy nodded, pushing herself up. She went out to the hall, wanting to help.

The hound came after her and she quickly threw up a barrier to block it without even thinking. She muttered a spell that felt unfamiliar to her and the hound dropped dead to the floor. She stood there looking confused, unsure what was happening.

Jun slowly exited the room, his eyes narrowed. “Andy? Are you alright?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. She shook her head, “I’ll be fine, let’s check on the others.”

Kiba growled as he cradled Yamae’s unconscious and bleeding form, glaring at the laughing scientist. “Why don’t you fight fair, you son of a bitch?!”

Andy looked at Jun, “Take care of Yamae. I’ll get him.” 

Andy growled at the scientist who just smirked at her.

“Everything is working out how we want it. Even if you take me down, our experiment is in motion.”

Andy growled once again before pouncing at him, shifting and ripping him apart. She fed on him, his blood dripping from her mouth as she turned back to the others.

Jun was muttering over Yamae, the porter looking better. “I’ll take him back.” They vanished.

Kiba shakily stood. “Need to see if our missing boys are here.”

Andy gave a nod before starting down the hall and glancing into the different rooms.

Yuki’s snarling face slammed in a door’s window. His eyes were bright red, blood covering the lower half of his face.

Andy opened the door, looking in quickly to see if anyone else was in there.

Kenji lay on the floor, his throat ripped out. Blood was everywhere as Yuki retreated to a corner, his eyes never leaving Andy.

Andy sighed, saying a spell to put Yuki to sleep. She then went to Kenji and started saying healing spells. She took a while getting him closed up before teleporting him to the infirmary. She then went back for Yuki. After getting into the infirmary, she set up a transfusion for Kenji and injected Yuki with a medicine to help stop the bloodlust. She then moved back to Kenji, focusing her energy on him. 

Jun looked from Yamae. “Where’s Kiba?”

Kenji inhaled sharply, then began to cough.

Andy frowned, focusing on Kiba and teleporting to him.

He was slumped against a wall, streaks of blood showing his slide.

Andy teleported him to the infirmary and began working on healing him. She pushed power into him, finally noticing her power felt a bit different than before. She frowned, but continued until his wounds closed.

She sat down for a moment, looking around the room. After a few minutes, she pushed herself up, checking on everyone.

Yuki groaned, his eyes blinking quickly. “What happened?”

“If I were to guess, they drugged you with the drug that increases your bloodlust. Don’t worry, everyone is okay.”

“Sorry if I hurt anyone.”

“It’s alright. Most of us vamps have been drugged with it before.”

Tsukasa entered slowly. “Status?”

“Everyone is alive. Bureau scientist and wizard were taken down.”

He nodded. “Any idea what the hell was going on?”

“Well, they drugged Yuki and made him drain Kenji. They drugged me. The scientist said something about the experiment already has started and even if we kill him it won’t stop it.”

“That sounds fucking ominous. Does that mean more of the team are going to snap and start shooting or worse?”

“I’m going to guess the wizard was the cause of that, and since he’s gone.. but I really don’t know.”

Tsukasa snorted smoke in exasperation. “We can’t function like this.”

“Let’s just wait it out and see what happens. Hopefully no one will start attacking again.” She sighed, slightly swaying. 

“Sit down and rest.” The dragon left as Jun reached out to steady her. 

  
  



	66. Chapter 66

The necromancer recoiled as his hands touched her. “Andy…”

She looked at him in confusion.

“You have to get rid of that power...it’s dangerous.” His voice was alarmed, his eyes wide.

“Power...?” She was quiet for a moment before it clicked, “I ate that wizard...”

“Come with me.  _ Now _ .”

She frowned but followed.

He took her to his room, quickly lighting candles and grabbing his spellbook. “I hope I’m fast enough.” He began to recite a spell, one hand extended towards Andy.

Light shot out from her, knocking him to the ground.

He growled, pushing himself up and continuing the spell.

Another light shot out, this time pushing him into the wall.

He struggled to free himself, his voice faltering.

Andy growled at the lights, trying to stop them.

Jun recovered his voice, forcing the words out as the pressure grew on his chest. He felt his ribs breaking, but didn’t stop.

The light flashed through the room before flickering out. Andy was standing, hands out as she worked to control the power inside her.

Jun coughed, blood trickling from his lips as his eyes closed and he slid to the floor.

Andy rushed over, pushing silver power into him. She worked on healing the broken ribs and his lungs before carrying him to the infirmary. She sat down beside him for a few moments before heading out of the room. 

She didn’t want to run, but if she didn’t leave and get control of this power, who knew who else she’d hurt. She headed down the hall slowly, going toward her room.

She glimpsed Ryon, a bag on his back. The porter was heading for the exit, his head hanging.

“Ryon? Where are you going? You know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

“Does it matter? I killed Rhona. I shot my own brother. I can’t trust myself.” His eyes were haunted. “I could see and hear everything, but couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it..”

“It  _ does  _ matter. I know you wouldn’t have killed them if it was up to you. You’re a good person. Now that the wizard is gone, you don’t have to worry about being controlled.” 

Andy heard an evil laugh in her mind.  _ “We could always control him again, you know.” _

Andy put her hands on her head, “Shut up! I’m not going to let you do that!”

“Andy?” Ryon sat the bag down and approached her in concern. “Are you alright?”

She shook her head, “I don’t want to hurt you.. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

“It’s okay. Let’s go to the infirmary so Jun and Akasa can take care of you.” He gently took her arm.

_ “He’s so close. It’d be so easy to control him..” _

She clutched her head, “I.. I have to go.” She pulled away and vanished. She appeared in her house, falling onto the bed and beginning to cry.

She finally pushed herself up, muttering spells to herself that prevent being controlled. She hoped some would help her stay in control.

She heard the laughing again,  _ “You really think that will keep me away?” _

“You’re dead! I killed you and I’ll control you too.”

There was no response and she went back to muttering spells.

She eventually sat down again, starting to write a spell out, hoping to create a new one to help keep him under control.

Kiba reverted as he exited the forest.  _ “Not here.” _ He sent to Tet. He scowled as he remembered the look on Ryon’s face when he’d recounted what happened. She was out there alone somewhere, fighting to stay in control and she needed them. They had to find her.

Tet recited the teleport spell, appearing in Andy’s kitchen. He could hear muttering upstairs and headed that way. “Darlin?”

Andy looked up, fear crossing her face, “Go back home.. I don’t want to hurt you..”

“I  _ am _ home, darlin. Wherever you are is home. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

She looked down, “Basically I was forced to eat an evil wizard and now he’s trying to take over.. it’s complicated.”

Tet’s lips quirked. “Okay. How can I help?”

She shook her head, “Trying to come up with a spell.. Jun tried to remove him but he attacked and almost killed him.”

“Still staying.” He sat down in a chair silently. “If mr asshole thinks he can scare me, he’s even dumber dead than alive.”

She gave a small smile before continuing to scribble on the pad of paper.

She eventually got up, making a circle with crystals and candles. She stood in the middle, reading over the spell. Bright glowing light surrounded her before shooting out around the room. It finally faded away, leaving her standing in the circle with her eyes closed. She focused, trying to see if it worked.

Tet held his breath, silently praying.

“I don’t hear him anymore, but that doesn’t mean he’s gone...” Andy sighed. “Jun should be able to tell, if he’s up.”

“You sure you want to go back?”

She shook her head, “I don’t want to hurt anyone if he’s still in my head.. But I can’t know for sure. Jun could automatically feel how dangerous the power was. If I don’t have control, he’ll probably feel it.”

Tet frowned. “Why don’t I go get him? Or Vasha?”

Andy nodded slowly, moving back to sit on the bed.

Tet stood and went to her side, quickly kissing her and disappearing.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the wizard. Memories of spells appeared, but she didn’t hear him talking to her like before. 

Tet reappeared, Vasha next to him. “Jun’s still recovering. Ran into him.”

Andy gave Vasha a small smile, “Hey.”

“Hello, child. Tet has told me of the situation.” He closed his eyes and focused for several minutes, then reopened them with a smile. “You will someday be a great wizard. There is no trace of his spirit, but you keep his knowledge.”

Andy grinned, “Thank you. I was worried my spell wouldn’t work right.”

He nodded. “This would have been what happened if you had eaten me. You would have had access to all my abilities.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here still and that I didn’t eat you.”

“As am I.”

Tet grinned teasingly. “You have to admit, Vasha wouldn’t be a bad headmate.”

Vasha chuckled. “I am honored.”

Andy smiled before shivering. 

Tet quickly moved to her side, injection ready. He supported her afterwards, shaking his head. “You need to rest. We’ll leave you alone now. Come back if and when you’re ready.” He kissed her and they disappeared.

She curled up on the bed, soon falling fast asleep.


	67. Chapter 67

A loud explosion could be heard from the lab, smoke flowing out from under the door. Andy cursed and started coughing.

The door was pulled open, Akasa growling Kei’s name.

Andy looked up as the smoke cleared out, giving him a nervous look.

“Andy? I thought Kei was in here..”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to..” she said quietly.

Akasa chuckled. “You okay?”

She took a deep breath, “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.. I must be missing something but I’m not sure what I need to add.”

“Why don’t you just ask?” Akasa rolled his eyes. “I swear you are too stubborn. You have four other witches here to help.”

She hung her head, “I don’t want to bother anyone...”

He snorted. “You’d rather blow yourself up instead?”

She sighed, “I don’t know.”

“Am I interrupting?” Vasha stood in the lab doorway, his voice hesitant. 

Andy shook her head, “Hey, what’s up?”

“May we speak alone?”

She nodded, “Of course.” 

Akasa excused himself, heading out of the infirmary. 

“So.. What’s up? Is something wrong?” Andy asked quietly.”

He sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. “I fear my magic is failing..”

“What do you mean? How can it just fail?”

“I have lived a long time, child. I was ill for almost as long. I repeatedly used spells to extend my life, telling myself it was to find a cure. In reality, I was selfish and feared death. Now..the spells no longer work.”

“Would they work if I did them for you?”

“I do not know. I should not ask. I simply wanted you to know if I no longer came to visit. I did not wish you to believe I had simply disappeared.” 

“Vasha, I’m not just going to let you disappear and die. You don’t have to ask, just tell me the spells to use. I could even create a seal spell for you?”

“You have your own issues. I do not wish to be a problem.” His eyes briefly closed as he swayed. His arm grew transparent as he attempted to lean on the door and he pitched forward.

“You are never a problem,” Andy went to him. “Tell me the spells and I can do them for you. If you want, we can do a trade. You can help with my potion when I’m done with you.”

“You drive a hard bargain.” Vasha’s voice teased. “I accept. Page 880 in your father’s book.”

Andy went and grabbed the book, reading the spells over. She scribbled on a paper for a moment before putting her hand on him. She recited the words and a design appeared on him before fading away. “There, it’s a seal now so it should last longer.”

He took a deep breath. “I thank you. What can I help with?”

“I’m trying to make a potion to erase the viruses in my body. It won’t change what I am, but I’m hoping that without the viruses struggling against each other, I won’t be sick anymore... But I seem to be missing something because it keeps failing.”

“May I see your spell?”

Andy handed over all her notes.

He read through them, then handed them back. “You are missing blood.”

She looked thoughtful, “That never even crossed my mind.”

He smiled softly. “Where are your donation kits?”

She went to the infirmary and grabbed a few things before returning.

He assembled the items, then sat down and stuck the needle in his arm.

She put together the new potion and waited for him to be done before adding the blood to the mix. She recited the spell over it and the potion changed color, turning into a bright purple.

Vasha smiled again. “See?”

“Thank you,” she smiled before taking a deep breath. She drank the potion down quickly and then sat down. She drew a sample of her blood and began testing it. “The viruses are gone. I won’t be able to turn anyone again. Now I just have to wait and see if I get sick again.”

The wizard nodded, closing his eyes.

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but it will pass.” 

Kiba entered, his eyes distant. He was trembling, his fists tightly clenched at his sides.

“Hun? What’s wrong?”

“The birds..Bureau..exfil a trick..” He fell to his knees.

Andy took a deep breath, “Alright.. so Bureau has them now or not?”

Kiba pressed an audio recorder into her hand. “This was delivered a few minutes ago. The note says there will be more coming..”

Andy growled, “I’m going to go get them.”

“NO! That’s what they want!” Kiba gripped her hand tight. “They’ll torture you...I can’t…”

“If I can get them free though..”

Kiba dropped his hand. “Don’t die..”

“I’ll try. I love you.” She kissed his forehead before focusing and disappearing. 

She reappeared at the end of a large room. She could see two limp forms chained to a far wall, and could hear screams and begging from the other side.

“STOP! Please stop….stop hurting him…” Taka’s voice was anguished.

Laughter met his request, then a blood curdling scream rang out. Taka’s pleas devolved into sobs.

Andy went to the two limp forms, checking them over quickly.

Hiroki was barely breathing, his body severely injured. Shouma was dead, his body broken so badly it made Andy recoil. His face was the only thing undamaged, his curls almost obscuring his closed eyes.

She cursed, teleporting them to the infirmary before heading back for Taka and Akira. She entered slowly, unsure what to expect in terms of Bureau workers.

Several scientists were occupied around a table, their backs to her. Another table held Taka, his chest heaving as he sobbed uncontrollably. One of the scientists sighed, turning to the shifter and injecting him with something. “Shut up. You’ll be reunited soon.”

The scientist looked up as Taka’s eyes slid shut, a slow smile appearing as he saw Andy.

She growled, shifting and pouncing at the scientists who weren’t facing her. She sliced into them quickly, blood splattering around them. She then turned to the scientist who had noticed her, staring him down.

“You don’t scare me. We will control you soon.”

She jumped, pushing him over and biting into him, draining him of his blood.

She reverted, going to Taka and Akira, holding onto them and teleporting them to the infirmary. She focused for a long while, trying to heal up their injuries and worked on keeping the living alive. She then moved to Akira and Shouma, working on healing them the best she could. She stood there for hours, reciting healing spells and pouring energy into them before attempting to revive them.

Akira screamed as he came back, his eyes frantic and darting.

“Shhh, it’s alright. You’re safe now,” Andy said softly.

“Taka? Where is Taka?”

“He’s over here, he’s still alive.”

The phoenix took a deep breath, relaxing into the mattress. “Thank the gods…”

Andy went over to Shouma and worked on trying to revive him.

He lay as if asleep, his face relaxed. 

She continued pushing energy into him, trying to make sure he was fully healed and trying to get him breathing.

Nothing happened, the teen’s body refusing to revive.

Andy frowned, deciding to go see if Jun would help.

Jun quickly entered, his power pouring over Shouma. After two hours, he shook his head and let it fade.

Andy’s eyes filled with tears before she vanished, going to Bureau. She shifted and started ripping through anyone she came across. She stopped when she heard someone muttering a spell. She turned, reciting a kill spell. She quickly ripped into the witch, feeding before continuing to rip apart scientists. 

She was surprised to not find any other people being experimented on. When she was done searching the building, she exited, saying a few spells to start raining fire upon the building. She stood there watching it, feeling numb.

Tet appeared beside her, gently opening his arms.

She went to him, finally starting to cry.

“Let it out, darlin.” Tet held her tight, fighting his own tears.

“We have to find the rest of the Bureau locations so this won’t happen again...” she finally wiped at her eyes.

“We will, I swear. But right now, we need to rest and grieve.” Tet met her eyes. “We will deal with this together. He didn’t have anyone but us and we need to be there for him, alright?”

Andy nodded slowly, turning back to look at the fire.

Tet watched silently, one hand clasped in hers.

_ “Andy, I’m sorry.” _ Jun’s voice was quiet in her head.

_ “For what?” _

_ “Not being able to..”  _ His voice broke.

“ _ I don’t blame you, okay?” _

_ “Boss made arrangements. When you two return..” _

_ “We’ll be there soon.” _

The link went silent as Tet sighed. “He was too damn young.”

“I know.”

“Should have been me. I should have protected him better. I sent him on that exfil. He’s dead because of me.”

“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

He hung his head. “Why him? He didn’t deserve to die. And those bastards…”

“I know..” she sighed. “We’ll take down Bureau so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

“We should get back.”

She nodded, grabbing him and teleporting.

Kiba grabbed onto them as they appeared, tears streaking his face.

Andy wrapped her arms around him tightly.

“I’m going to kill them all…” The words were hissed under the wolf’s breath. “I’m going to make it so no one can recognize them as human..”

Andy sighed, “Maybe I should use some of the killing spells Seltain taught me... Completely turn them inside out..”

Tet stiffened beside her. “Don’t lose yourself, darlin.”

“They deserve it though.”

“That is what started my father down the path to madness.” Jun walked up to her. “You do not want to become like him.”

She nodded, “I know.”

Tsukasa approached them, his face sad. “Let’s get this over with.”

Andy nodded again, “Right.”

Tsukasa took his place as the squad filed in and sat down. He spoke quietly for an hour, then said, “Anyone who wants to say goodbye before the burial, you can do it now.” 

After a few others went up, Andy moved to Shouma, “I’m going to do everything I can to avenge you. I’m sorry we couldn’t revive you. And I’m going to miss you. I wish we had more time together..” she paused and wiped at her eyes. “Goodbye for now. We’ll meet again someday.”

She left the room and headed out into the hall.

Ryusei shot past her, his eyes blazing as he shifted into dragon form. He flew through the skylight and disappeared from view.

“Dammit!” Tet had skidded to a stop behind her. “He didn’t need this too..”

“What?” Andy glanced at Tet. 

“His brothers died last month. He was starting to get better, but losing Shouma…”

“No.. they died too?” She hung her head. “If he’s not back by tomorrow we’ll go looking for him.”

Tet nodded reluctantly as Kiba motioned him back into the room. 

Tet, Kiba and several of the others gently lifted the casket, carrying it past Andy and out the base exit.

Tsukasa came up beside her. “We’re burying him in the forest.”

“That’ll be nice,” she tried to smile but failed.

He nodded, then walked out the exit and disappeared.

The next morning, Andy headed to check for Ryusei. After not finding him, she teleported to his location. 

He lay crumpled in the middle of a ritual circle, ten wizards reciting a spell in unison.

Andy growled, reciting spells to take them down. The first few fell lifelessly as the others turned toward her. She shifted and started tearing into them. She felt pain shooting through her as one recited a spell. She struggled to keep going, finally taking them all down. She drained them before starting to feed on them, feeling stronger the more she ate. When she was done, she teleported Ryusei to the infirmary and began checking him over.

“Let me die.” Ryusei’s voice was almost inaudible.

“If I’m not allowed to die, you aren’t either. I’m sorry you’re losing people you care about but you still have a lot of us who love you and want you to live.”

“I..I just want it to stop..” Ryusei struggled to speak through the pain.

Andy pushed power into him, feeling a massive surge of energy that felt unfamiliar to her. She remembered the coven she had fed on and smirked to herself as she continued trying to help him. After a few minutes she sighed, “I know it hurts. I wish I could take away all of your mental pain like I do your physical. But unfortunately I can’t. But I am here for you to talk to and for whatever else you need.”

“I can’t lose anyone else if I’m dead first..” He sat up and hung his head. “I want them all back…” He put his face in his hands as the tears came.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, “I know. And if I could bring them back for you, I would. But I’m going to do my best to prevent you from losing anyone else again.”

He shook with sobs, finally passing out from exhaustion.

She laid him down gently and went to her office, starting to fill her book of shadows full of new spells she was getting from the wizards she’d eaten.

“Andy! You found him..” Tet was standing at her door, his eyes on the sleeping man. “How is he?”

“He’s not doing well mentally. He’s better physically though. I’m not sure what to do to help...”

“I’m not sure you can. Losing his brothers and his best friend has brought back all the fears he had been keeping a lid on. Rhona suggested a seventy two hour hold at her hospital.”

Andy nodded, “That might be good for him..”

“He’ll hate us afterwards. I feel like we buried both of them.” Tet sat down in a chair.

She sighed, “I don’t know what to do. We can’t actually keep him in a hold at a hospital since he can just port out.. but I don’t know if we can help him enough here.”

Suddenly a few spells appeared in her mind and she jotted them down. “Hmm... antidepressant spells?”

Tet raised an eyebrow. “That’s handy..”

“It won’t get rid of all his pain, but it should help a bit.” Andy went out to Ryusei and performed a few before going back to the office.

Tet took a deep breath. “How--”

_ “Andy, where am I? Help me..” _ Shouma’s voice intruded in her head.

She froze, “ _ Shouma _ ...?” 

_ “I’m scared..” _

Andy stood quickly, saying a spell to teleport to his location. “Shouma!?”

He turned, a slow smile on his face. “You actually came this time.. I’m glad. Makes my job easier.”

Her eyes narrowed, “What’s going on?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“How are you even here..?”

“The Bureau saved me after you abandoned me. They healed me and now I’m going to pay my debt.” He produced a sword and pointed it at her as two more figures joined him. 

She gasped as she recognized Ryusei’s brothers.

She started muttering spells to try to break any control they could be under as she backed up.

Shouma laughed, then charged at her, slashing as he ran.

She narrowly dodged the first few before he managed to get her. A large slice ran through her chest and she struggled to stay upright. She grabbed onto him, focusing her energy into him in hopes to bring the real Shouma back.

He tried to pull away as a wizard appeared.

“Finish her.”

Shouma winced, then dropped the sword and screamed. He grabbed his head, falling to his knees. A minute later, his horrified eyes met Andy’s. “Oh god...I’m sorry…”

The wizard snarled, muttering a spell which dropped all three men to the ground writhing in pain. “Worthless. I guess I should have done this myself.” He began approaching Andy, his lips starting another spell.

Her lips moved quicker, reciting a killing spell that dropped him to the ground. She said a spell to help the three others before shifting and eating the wizard’s brain. Her eyes glowed for a moment before she muttered the spell she’d written to stay in control. She then reverted, moving back to the three and teleporting them to the infirmary before collapsing.

Akasa looked up in shock, then he raced to Andy’s side and began healing her.

“I’m going to kill all of those Bureau assholes...” she said as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

“Don’t talk. Just rest.” Akasa finished the spell and drew back. He looked at the three unconscious men and sighed. “How am I going to explain this?”

“Bureau wizard controlled them..” Andy admitted as she closed her eyes.

  
  


“How did three dead men attack her?” Tsukasa’s raised voice echoed loudly as he paced the floor of the infirmary. “Especially when I buried one of them myself?!”

Andy groaned as she woke back up.

The dragon winced as Akasa gave him a glare. “Sorry. I’m going to put them in the brig until we can figure this out. Ryusei can’t see them.”

Akasa frowned. “This will keep him from doing anything else stupid.”

Tsukasa shook his head. “What if it’s a trick? I won’t risk his heart being broken again.”

Andy sat up, “The wizard who did it is gone. Unless Bureau has more wizards that he didn’t know about, they can’t control them like that again.”

Tsukasa looked at her. “There’s no threat?”

“That wizard can’t come back now,” Andy answered.

The dragon took a deep breath, then nodded. “You might prepare for Ryusei’s reaction, then.”

“Andy? Is she okay?” Shouma’s panicked question rang out. “Please say she’s okay..”

“I’m fine, Shouma. Relax,” she said gently.

“I tried...I’m so sorry..I don’t deserve to be here.” He disappeared as Tsukasa scowled.

_ “Shouma, it was the wizards fault. None of us blame _you.” _

_ “I’m..not real.” _

_ “...what?” _

_ “I don’t think I’m real..This grave…” _

Andy sighed and stood, swaying. She teleported to him. “You died..we couldn’t revive you. Bureau took you and revived you somehow. You  _ are  _ real. But we can unbury the casket and check if you’d like.”

He nodded slowly. “You won’t believe me otherwise.”

Andy closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and holding her hand out. The dirt above the casket slowly lifted up and she dropped it to the side. She then focused and the casket lid opened.

Shouma’s body lay inside.

The teen looked at Andy sadly. “Told you. I’m a ghost in a temporary body. Once I had killed you, I was supposed to vanish.”

Andy stared quietly, her mind running through different ideas. Finally, she nodded to herself. “Will you let me try something?”

Shouma narrowed his eyes, then sighed. “Go ahead.”

She grabbed onto him, teleporting them to her house. She went and grabbed candles. crystals and herbs, making a circle. She sat down, writing on paper. After she checked it over multiple times, she took a knife, cutting into her palm and smearing blood in the middle of the circle. 

Shouma watched in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“A spell,” she answered, focused on what she was doing.

She then recited the spell, pouring energy at the center of the circle. Slowly, a body appeared, looking like Shouma. 

He backed up in alarm. “That’s creepy.” He paused, then shrugged. “At least it’s not in a casket anymore.”

Andy looked up, “Stand next to it in the circle.”

The teen complied, raising an eyebrow.

She muttered more words under her breath then poured gold energy into it.

The Shouma that was standing vanished. 

The other Shouma slowly opened its eyes and looked at her in shock.

“I know it’s not your original body, but it should work.”

He sat up, then shifted. He hovered above the floor for a moment before reverting. He jumped onto Andy, hugging her tight. “Thank you.”

She smiled, “You’re welcome.”

He released her, then looked worried. “Can I ask something?”

“Sure.”

“How long?”

“Are you asking how long the body will last? It should age like normal and live like a normal person if I did it right.”

He shook his head. “How long since..you know.”

“Oh. It’s only been like a day or two.”

“Really? I thought it was longer. Though I don’t really remember what happened. I know I have to apologize to Ryusei though.”

She gave a small smile, “He was pretty upset.”

Shouma gave a nod. “He’d been having trouble sleeping, so we were playing games a lot. I told him we’d play when I got back. Losing his brothers really messed him up.”

_ “Um..darlin?” _

_ “Yeah?” _

_ “Where is the defibrillator? I think we gave Ryusei a heart attack.” _

Andy shook her head, “Let’s get back. Ryusei woke up.”

Shouma chuckled. “Let me guess. He freaked.”

“Yep.” She paused, “Give me a second.” She teleported away for a moment then came back, “Had to rebury you...” She sighed, “Let’s go.” She grabbed him and teleported him to the infirmary.

“Really wish you wouldn’t put it like that. It’s creepy.” He gave Tet a smile. “Yo.”

Tet gave a teary chuckle, then grabbed the teen in a hug. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

Shouma grinned and hugged back. “Don’t worry. Not in my plans.” He let go and moved to Ryusei’s side. “Hey, Ryu. No time to sleep or I’ll decide your defeat is final.”

“Don’t even think about it. You cheated and I’m going to win our rematch.” Ryusei opened his eyes, sitting up and crushing Shouma in a bear hug.

Shouma laughed, holding his friend close. “Good luck.”


	68. Chapter 68

Andy sat in her office, surrounded by leather books, scribbling into them.

“From what I’ve heard you haven’t been out of here in a week. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Just trying to organize spells and stuff,” Andy answered without looking up.

Arie shook her head, “I’ll be back after my date and then I’m dragging you out of here to get some fresh air.”

Andy chuckled, “I guess.”

Arie rolled her eyes and headed off to meet Kenji.

He bowed, presenting her with a bouquet. “For the beautiful lady.”

She blushed, “Thank you.” 

He grinned. “You’re very welcome. What do you want to do today?”

“Whatever you want. I just want to spend time with you.”

“A stroll in the park then.” He extended his arm.

She took it with a smile.

They walked off base together.

“Any exciting missions lately?” She asked.

“Non, cherie. Just boring intel recons. Boss is jumpy since the incident with Shouma.”

Arie nodded, “Andy told me about what happened. Though I don’t know if she told everything. I feel like she’s hiding things and acting strange lately..”

“I know what you mean. She’s become quite secretive.” He shrugged. “She’s entitled to her secrets. She does so much for us, it’s only fair she keeps some things to herself.”

“I guess I’m just not used to it. She normally tells me everything. I guess she’ll get to it when she’s ready.” Arie sighed.

“Let’s talk of happier things. How are your students? Is our little dragon going to be rich and famous soon?” 

“His stories are great. I haven’t talked much to him about publishing though. We have a class on it next week, so maybe he’ll look into it then.” She smiled, “Most of my students are good. A few are failing for not turning in work. It’s creative writing, all you have to do is write something and you get some kind of credit. But they aren’t even doing that.”

Kenji shook his head. “Why take the class if you don’t want to do the work?”

She shrugged, “I have no idea. They’re just wasting money.”

“They are wasting the opportunity to learn from a goddess. I would gladly spend any sum of money to be near you.”

She chuckled softly.

A group of men turned the corner and started approaching them.

Arie tensed, sensing their malevolence.

She began to say the teleportation spell when something hard was thrown at her. She winced before being grabbed.

“Let go of her!” Kenji tried to free Arie with a growl. His eyes began flickering as he knocked the men loose.

He was punched hard as Arie was stuck with a needle. She tried to get to him but soon her world went black.

They stuck Kenji too before dragging the two off.

Arie woke, finding herself chained in a cell. She could see Kenji but couldn’t reach him.

“Cherie? Are you alright?” The Frenchman squinted his good eye, the other swollen shut.

“Yeah, I think so. You?”

“Not dead yet. Can you get free?” 

She struggled against the chains before saying the teleportation spell. “Not sure what’s blocking my magic..”

“Probably whatever they injected you with.” He tried to shift with no success. “Dammit. Who do you think they are?”

“ _ We _ are an antishifter group,” one man appeared.

Arie growled, “Shifter’s are just normal people with an ability.”

“Of course you’d think that, you vamp.”

“You will speak to her with respect, asshole.” Kenji glared at him.

“I don’t have to do anything you say,” he answered before moving into the cell and approaching Kenji.

“Va te faire foutre.” Kenji snarled, trying to get loose.

The man kicked him repeatedly.

Arie struggled against the chains, tears in her eyes as she watched.

Kenji sank his teeth into the man’s foot.

The man growled, reaching down and wrapping a hand around Kenji’s throat and squeezing.

The shifter panicked, thrashing violently as he fought to breathe.

The man finally let go, “Can’t let you die yet. The boss will want to have fun with the two of you, especially her.”

Kenji coughed and gasped, his eyes promising mayhem. “I’ll kill you if you touch her!”

The man smirked but didn’t say anything as he left the cell.

  
  


Andy glanced up at the clock, frowning when she realized how late it had gotten. 

She called Arie’s phone and it went to voicemail. She tried the same with Kenji’s phone before focusing on Arie,  _ “You okay?” _

_ “Andy! No.. Kenji’s hurt bad. We’re locked up.” _

Andy growled, “ _ Be right there.” _

She focused on her twin and teleported. She saw a couple men beating on Kenji. Shifting, she tore into one of them. She then shifted again, this time into a snake and bit the other.

Kenji lay crumpled on the floor. 

Andy teleported them both out before going to search the building for anyone else. She took out everyone she found before going back and starting to heal Kenji. 

Arie looked up at her, “Where did you go?”

“Just taking care of them. Don’t want them going after anyone else, do we?”

Arie frowned but nodded. 

Andy went back to focusing on Kenji, spending the next couple hours healing him.

“Arie? Is she alright?” Kenji’s dark eyes cracked open.

“Yeah, she’s right here,” Andy answered.

“I’m fine. Just rest,” Arie spoke quietly.

“The men..where are they?” Kenji tried to rise. “They wanted to hurt you…”

“I took care of them,” Andy informed as she gently pushed him down.

He finally sagged into the mattress, his strength gone. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

“I couldn’t protect you either,” Arie sighed. “I’m sorry I’m not stronger like Andy.”

Andy rolled her eyes at the remark, “You’re strong in your own ways.”

Kenji gave a small smile before he lost consciousness.

Andy sighed, “You should rest too.”

Arie nodded, laying back on the bed she sat on. 

Andy watched them for a few moments before going back into her office.

“You are traveling a dangerous road, child.” Vasha sat at her desk, skimming through the books.

“What do you mean? It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong,” she answered.

“Seltain said the same thing. He said he was merely expanding his knowledge, so that he could protect his family. We all know what happened.” He closed the book, setting it down. “I do not wish to repeat the experience.”

“Look how he ended up treating his family. As long as I don’t start hurting innocent people or those I care about, I think I’ll be fine.”

Vasha gave her a look. “You believe you are stronger than a wizard who had lived centuries before your birth?”

“I think if I keep in mind what’s important, I won’t turn into him.”

Vasha sighed. “Why must history repeat itself?”

She sighed, “You really don’t trust me enough to not be like that?”

“I have seen too much in my long life to trust magic completely. It took most of my family from me. Some by death, others by madness. I merely do not wish to lose you.” He slowly stood and walked around the desk. “Remember, I swore an oath to your father. I would rather die than break it.”

Andy nodded quietly, unsure what to say.

“I am sorry. I should not have confronted you so harshly. Fear makes me this way. I shall go now.” He vanished.

Andy sighed, heading out of the office and into the hall, thinking about what Vasha said.

Vasha appeared in the shop, heading for his small room. He suddenly froze, his eyes glowing. “Who is there?”

The only answer was a glowing tendril that snaked around his throat and squeezed.

The wizard fought, but soon went limp and was dropped to the floor as the tendril vanished.

He sent a warning to Andy.  _ “Protect yourself..he’s been revived…” _

_ “Who?”  _ Andy thought worriedly.

_ “Sel..” _ The answer cut off.

Andy froze for a moment before getting on the radio, “Guys, emergency meeting in the conference room.  _ Now.” _

  
  



	69. Chapter 69

Andy paced back and forth at the front of the room, wondering if she should go check on Vasha or if Seltain would be there. She was stronger now, she beat him before, she could do it again, right..?

Jun ran in, trembling. “Andy..I felt him...How is he back?”

She shook her head, “I don’t know. I think he hurt Vasha though..”

Tsukasa held the door open for Tet and the others. “Why the alarm?”

“He’s back... I don’t know how. I don’t know if it was Bureau or someone else.. but this isn’t going to go well..” she muttered, still pacing.

“Darlin, you’re not making sense. Who is back?” Tet stopped her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

She looked up at him for a moment, before whispering, “Seltain.”

His eyes blazed, then he was hugging her tight. “He won’t hurt you.  _ I swear it _ .”

“I mean, we did take him down before.. so we can probably do it again, right?” Andy said quietly.

“Absofuckinglutely.” Kiba joined the hug. “This time we will wipe him from existence.”

“How did you discover this?” Tsukasa asked gently.

“Vasha told me..” she paused, “I need to go check on him. He’s hurt, if not worse..”

“Go. We’ll come up with a plan.” Tsukasa said firmly.

Andy nodded before vanishing. She appeared in the bookshop, looking around until she found Vasha. She knelt beside him checking for a pulse.

It was barely there and growing fainter. There was bruising around his throat and a hole in his chest.

His eyes cracked open and he struggled to speak. “He..wants you…”

“Shh, just rest.” Andy poured power into him, saying spells which slowly closed up the hole. 

Vasha shook his head. “You need my power…”

She shook her head, “We’ll manage.”

He arched his back, his eyes squeezed shut. “It hurts..”

She poured more power into him, trying to stop the pain.

He finally relaxed, his eyes closing. His chest rose erratically.

She worked on healing him a while longer before teleporting him to the infirmary so she could keep an eye on him. After a bit, she made her way back to the conference room.

Tet raised his eyes to her. “How is he?”

“Better than he had been. Stable at least for the moment.”

Tsukasa nodded. “You think it’ll be like the first time we took him down?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Who knows what whoever revived him did to him. He could be stronger..”

“I don’t care. He’s not taking you. Even if I die permanently, he’s going back to hell.” Kiba’s voice was resolute.

“I don’t want any of you guys to get hurt.”

“Don’t even think it, darlin. You aren’t going to surrender yourself again.”

Jun stared into her eyes. “Tet is correct. We  **will** protect you, even if it costs our lives. You constantly protect us, it is time to return the favor. We are not afraid of dying. We are fucking  _ terrified _ of losing you. That’s a fate worse than death to us.”

She nodded slowly, “What’s our plan then?”

“We unfortunately don’t know where he is. He has to show himself. Once he does, we attack him with everything we’ve got. Just like with Branch. The only way this bastard gets his hands on you is with every single one of us dead.” Tsukasa surveyed the room, seeing every head nod in unison.

Andy sighed, “Alright..”

“Dismissed.”

The squad rose and left the room as one. Tsukasa gave her an encouraging smile and followed.

Jun stayed seated, his eyes on the table.

“You okay?”

“My insane father is back and targeting my niece, my cousin is near death and this battle may cost everyone I hold dear… No, I am not okay.”

“Sorry..” Andy sighed.

“Why do you apologize? This is not your fault. You should stay here when the fight happens. We don’t want him figuring a way to ambush you without going through us.” The necromancer rose slowly. “I know you were being optimistic to Boss, but how is Vasha really?”

“He had a hole in his chest and bruising on his throat. The hole is closed now and he  _ is  _ doing better, but I need to put more work into healing him.” She sighed again, “And you know, with teleporting, he could find me easily. I’m surprised he hasn’t shown up here already.”

“He’s no doubt toying with us. Did Vasha say anything?”

“Basically just that Seltain wants me.”

Jun scowled. “He can  _ keep _ wanting. He will not touch you. May I help with Vasha?”

Andy nodded and led him to the infirmary.

Akasa met them at the door. “He’s leaking power.”

“Leaking power?” Andy raised an eyebrow.

Pink light started swirling toward her from Vasha’s bed.

“No! He  _ is _ not doing this!” Jun stalked over and pressed a hand on the wizard’s chest. “You are  _ not _ giving up.”

“I don’t understand what he’s doing,” Andy admitted. “But I don’t want him to give up.”

“It’s one of the ways we can pass on our power. He’s releasing it so you can absorb it. No doubt he feels you need it to fight Seltain.”

“I fought Seltain without him before, I can do it again. I’m stronger than before too.”

Jun nodded. “Tet told me the story. Dumbass here is frightened though. Don’t judge him too harshly.” He forced blue light into the other’s chest with a growl.

“Eat me..he’s too strong now..” Vasha’s eyes were glazed, his voice weak. “He will eat you..and this world will die.”

“Eat me..? They turned him, didn’t they?” Andy growled. “I’m not letting him snack on me. Don’t worry, Vasha. I’m pretty strong too. Hopefully I can manage like last time.”

“He..almost ate me. I don’t know why he retreated..”

Andy shook her head, “Don’t worry, we won’t let him eat you either.”

Vasha’s eyes slid closed.

Jun’s jaw tightened as he poured power into him. “He’s hurt badly. Whatever my father did, it was worse than simply strangling and stabbing him.”

Andy went over, her silver light joining with Jun’s blue.

Suddenly Jun froze. “That monster! He is  **not** taking you!” He accelerated the power transfer.

Andy pushed more energy in, though she was unsure what Jun was referring to.

“He’s not  _ releasing _ it, Seltain’s trying to steal it. Vasha is fighting him, that’s why it’s going to you.” Jun pushed a final immense power charge into Vasha, then leaned on the bed. “I  _ think  _ I negated it.”

Andy nodded, her light vanishing.

Vasha opened his eyes and attempted to rise. “I must fight him alone..”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Nope. You don’t need to fight him at all. We’ll handle it.”

“I do not wish to live if you are defeated.”

“Can’t you give us some hope? You’re sounding like we can’t do anything. We  _ do  _ have a decent chance at winning.”

He gave her an apologetic smile. “Forgive me. I have let my fear rule too often. You are strong, both of you. I will endeavour to trust in your power.”

“Thank you,” Andy said quietly. “Now just rest.”

He slowly nodded, allowing his eyes to close.

_ “Andy? You want to tell me how the _ **_fuck_ ** _ Seltain is in front of me?” _ Ryusei’s voice was panicked.

Andy cursed, vanishing from the infirmary and appearing beside Ryusei. 

He was slumped against a tree, blood pooled around him and one arm dangling at an odd angle. 

“I was flying back from my assignment and he knocked me out of the sky. He’s muttering about brains and shifting..”

Andy turned to look around herself, spotting Seltain.

“You..I will have your power after I eat you.” He laughed maniacally and raised his hands. Light crackled on his fingertips.

Ryusei’s eyes went wide and he whirled, covering Andy with his body. He screamed as Seltain shot at him, then slumped against her. Smoke curled from his back.

Andy growled, starting to mutter spells to attack Seltain. “I’m not letting you eat me.”

“You have no choice. You are still weak and have no chance. Come willingly and I will spare them.”

She stood there, considering her options.

Suddenly, two Bureau scientists appeared, one near each of them and injected them with something.

Andy growled before biting the scientist near her and draining him. She then turned back to Seltain, “I’m not letting you win.”

“Andy! Stay back!” Tsukasa called as he attacked, blowing fire at Seltain. The rest of the team was behind him, charging forward in their respective shifts.

“YOU ARE NOT HAVING HER!” Tet and Kiba leapt for Seltain’s throat in unison.

Andy growled again as she felt her hunger growing. She muttered to herself, “Fucking Bureau..” She then yelled, “Guys, he’s going to lose himself to his hunger soon... And so am I.” She shifted, digging her claws into the ground to try to stop herself from charging forward.

“Akasa has the antidote! Get to the infirmary!” Tet yelled before Seltain wrapped a hand around his torso. He reverted, fighting to get free. He screamed as Seltain bit into his neck, then went limp.

Kiba howled in fury, but was backhanded and went flying into the forest.

Seltain screamed, the shockwave knocking the shifters back. 

Tsukasa slammed into a tree, his back making an audible snap as he crumpled.

Seltain laughed again and dropped Tet. He calmly advanced on Andy, pausing only to pull a sword from his coat. He methodically stabbed each team member he came across as he neared her. “So much power..I will be filled for a long time.” 

Andy pounced, trying to bite into him.

He dodged, grabbing her by the throat. Tet’s blood covered his lips as he dragged her closer. “You will be such a sweet taste.”

She clawed out at him, managing to swipe across his face.

He laughed. “Did you know fear makes blood and brain even tastier?”

She growled, struggling to breathe. “You... aren’t going to.. win.”

She kicked out at him, digging her back claws into his stomach.

He hissed, drawing his other hand back. Suddenly he screamed and jerked, flames appearing on his back.

“We made a vow, you hellspawn..And I’m not dead yet.” Ryon slashed with his talons, his wings flapping weakly. His snout began to smoke again as he built up another flame.

Seltain dropped Andy, whirling and muttering a spell as he slammed a hand into Ryon’s chest.

Flames encircled the dragon and he screamed, then fell smoking to the ground.

Seltain smiled, then turned back to her.

Her hunger was all she could focus on, knowing he could satisfy it. She shifted again, into a snake, and bit into his leg.

He yelled, kicking out in a vain attempt to dislodge her. After a minute, he began to crumple. “I must..rule..”

Andy shifted once again, this time into a hawk. She clawed at his face before pecking at him repeatedly.

He tried to hit her, but his eyes were already glazing. His hand fell as they slid shut and he went still.

She ripped him apart, finally getting to feed. 

When she was done, she stood, her eyes glowing a deep purple. She focused her energy out around to the dead and injured squad members. Their bodies quickly healing and coming back to life. She then stood there laughing to herself.

“Andy?” Jun watched her in alarm. “Are you alright?”

“No one will ever be able to hurt you guys again.. You’re finally safe,” she smiled, looking over at him.

His eyes darted to Seltain’s body and he went white. “You ate him..”

“The hunger.. the drug..” Andy answered quietly before smiling again. “Now I have the power to protect everyone.”

“You have to get control before he does!” Jun began to approach slowly.

Andy sighed, saying the spell she used before for control. “See? I  _ am _ in control. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Jun looked unconvinced as he finally reached her side. His eyes began to glow as he scanned her.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Let’s just say I want to, but I have too much experience to take anything at face value.”

“I’m in control, Jun.” She answered plainly.

Jun sighed, his eyes returning to normal as Kiba staggered into view. 

“Andy? Is it over?” The wolf was pale, blood streaming from his head as he held his ribs, one leg dragged behind him, the snapped bone visible amidst his mangled knee.

She held a hand out toward him, a purple light surrounding him and quickly healing him. “We’re all safe now.”

Kiba stared at her. “You okay? Your eyes..”

Jun touched her arm. “I think the power is too much. We should remove it.”

“I can handle it,” Andy growled. 

“Maybe your body can, but not your mind!” Jun yelled before starting to mutter a spell.

“ _ I am fine! _ ” Andy insisted, “I can protect everyone now.. You aren’t taking that away from me.”

“You even sound like him..listen to yourself! You’ve gone mad! How long before you turn on us?” Jun’s eyes went hollow. “I can’t go through this again..” He placed a hand on her head and started reciting.

“Why can’t you trust me?! You  _ know _ I wouldn’t turn on you guys. But if you don’t want to listen, fine. I’ll leave.” She vanished.

Jun froze, his hand dropping to his side. “She’s right..I’m sorry. Go find her. Tell her I’m sorry. I won’t stop her..” He vanished a second later as Kiba scowled.

_ “Andy? He’s sorry. He says he won’t stop you.” _

Andy didn’t answer, staring at herself in the mirror. She tried to make the light vanish from her eyes but it refused to do so. “Maybe he’s right.. I  _ am  _ like Seltain.. but I won’t let him or myself hurt anyone I care about.” She grabbed a knife, stabbing herself in the chest. She staggered backwards, falling onto her bed.  _ “He won’t have to..”  _ She finally answered Kiba.  _ “Tell him I’m sorry and that he’s right.” _

_ “Andy?” _

_ “I love you..” the link dropped as her eyes slid closed, blood soaking into the mattress below her. _

“Child, open your eyes.”

She struggled, barely cracking them open.

Vasha gave her a gentle look, clouds floating behind him. He reached out a hand and touched her chest, healing the wound. “Why are you running away?”

“Just let me go! Jun’s right, I’m becoming a danger. I won’t let myself hurt any of you so I’m stopping myself before that happens..”

“What happened to your declaration of being stronger than him? Are you telling me it was just empty words?” His eyes went sad. “He already hurt me child. That’s how I’m here. But you  _ are _ strong enough to do this. You asked me to give hope, here it is. You are not like him. He never was pure hearted, though I ignored it and taught him anyway. You are. You wish only to protect, not harm. You will control this. I only wish I could be here to see it.”

“He hurt you, his power can help you,” Andy pushed herself into a sitting position. “And maybe I was wrong. It was foolish of me to think I could be stronger or smarter than someone who lived so much longer than myself. Even if I was pure hearted, it can be corrupted.”

“Anyone can be corrupted. But it takes strength to purify yourself again.You have already done that by your own hand. He will never again control or hurt anyone. You are stronger than all of us.” 

He waved a hand at their surroundings. “I am within you, Andy. Akasa tried to defend me when Seltain appeared. He was killed, although no doubt is revived now. I..am not so lucky.”

“No.. he ate you..?”

Vasha nodded. “I do not believe there is anything you can do. I wish it was otherwise. I was enjoying life again.”

Tears filled her eyes, “There has to be some way to bring you back. If you are here in me.. I can find a way to free you. I  _ do  _ have over a thousand years of knowledge to call upon between everyone I’ve fed on...” 

Vasha smiled. “You must live to do that.”

“If I can find a way to pull you out of my mind.. I can build you a new body. I’ve done that part before..” she looked thoughtful. “But.. I don’t know if I should go back.. Even if I can control the power, what if I still can’t protect everyone? I’m so tired of everyone getting hurt around me.”

“Andy, think of yourself and the team as a symbiotic relationship. You support and are in turn supported. They give their love and trust to you and regain it again multiplied. It was not an accident that your lovers met you that night. It was fate.”

Andy nodded slowly, “Alright.. I’ll go back. And I’ll work on bringing you back too, okay?” She gave him a small smile, “If we’re inside me, how do I wake up..?”

“Just open your eyes, child. Before your tiger loses his mind..” Vasha faded from sight.

Andy focused, her eyes slowly opening.

“Wait for me, darlin.” Tet’s eyes were closed, one hand touching her face, the other pointing the knife at his own chest.

Andy quickly put a hand on the one with the knife. “Don’t.”

His eyes flew open as he let out a strangled sob. “Darlin….”

“I’m sorry..”

“Stop apologizing and kiss me before I start thinking I’ve lost my mind.”

She gave him a small smile before moving to kiss him. She winced as she moved but continued to smile anyway. After they parted, she sighed, “I think I need to rest. But I want to talk to Jun and make sure everyone else is okay.”

Tet’s eyes darkened. “Darlin..” He dropped his head, studying the blankets.

“What...?”

“Vasha… the base was attacked. He’s dead. Jun has disappeared.”

“Vasha already told me what happened with that.”

Tet stared at her. “How did Vasha tell you?”

“Seltain ate Vasha.. then I ate Seltain.. so basically I ate Vasha and he’s the one that stopped me from dying just now..”

“Magic is so damn confusing.” Tet sighed. “Kiba says Jun disappeared right after you did. He’s not answering anyone.”

Andy nodded slowly, pushing herself up. She felt weak from the blood loss but was insistent on finding Jun. She gave Tet another kiss before focusing on Jun and teleporting.

He hung from the ceiling of the bookstore, noose around his neck. His eyes were half open and unseeing. A note lay on the floor.

Andy worked on getting him down before looking at the note.

_ Andy, I’m sorry for not trusting you. You’d think I would after all this time. I just wanted to protect you. Seltain got to Vasha. I failed both of you, but never again. Goodbye. _

Andy took a deep breath before focusing on Jun and forcing energy into him. 

His eyes fluttered open and his face fell. “Why do you torment me so? Vasha is gone.. I am unfit to be around you.”

“None of us blame you for him dying. And I  _ might _ still be able to save him. No promises though.” She sighed, “I tried to kill myself so I wouldn’t turn into Seltain. I should have listened to you more.. Vasha wouldn’t let me go though.”

“He is quite stubborn.” Jun gave a small chuckle. “I should have had more faith in you. Forgive me?”

“As long as you forgive me for not listening enough.”

“Agreed.” His smile disappeared. “Vasha..I am ashamed to be related to that monster.”

“You cannot control who you are born to. All you can do is try your hardest to be the best person you can be.”

“I don’t know if I can anymore..”

“You are good enough how you are. You are nothing like your father and we all love you.”

He hung his head and cried.

She wrapped her arms around him quietly.

_ “Darlin? Tell me you found him.” _

_ “Yeah. He should be alright now..” _

_ “Can you come help then? There’s been an incident and Akasa needs reviving.” _

_ “Be right there.”  _ She looked at Jun, “Now do you want to stay here and keep crying or do you want to come help me in the infirmary?”

He wiped his eyes, then gave her a small smile. “Pity party over. What’s the problem?”

“Something about an incident and also Akasa needs reviving.”

“An incident? That sounds ominous. Let’s go then.”

Andy grabbed onto him and teleported them to the infirmary.

Kiba was trying to hold Kei down as Jack sewed Yamae’s chest closed. The vampire was visibly struggling, biting his lip to keep from attacking.

“What’s happening?” Andy asked quietly.

“Fucking Bureau happened. They were skulking around the forest when we went to dispose of Seltain and his buddies. They darted Jack with what we think is Limbo, and proceeded to gut Yamae. Kei and I managed to force them to retreat.” Kiba growled.

Andy looked at Jun, “You help Yamae, I’ll help Akasa?”

He nodded, going to Jack’s side. He touched the vampire and softly muttered a spell. Jack relaxed into his arms as he fell asleep. Jun laid him down, then took over caring for Yamae.

Andy went to Akasa and began trying to revive and heal him.

The nurse shakily opened his eyes. “Vasha? Is he okay?”

She shook her head, “Don’t worry about him for now, okay? Just rest.”

He nodded weakly, then fell asleep.

Jun sat down as he finished Yamae’s healing. “I think I’m more afraid of Bureau than Branch..”

Andy sighed, “We’ll take them down, try not to worry.”

She sat down beside him, starting to scribble on paper.

Kiba put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about Vasha.”

“It’s alright. He and I talked.. I have a plan to try to help him, if I’m strong enough to do it,” she answered.

“If you need help..” Jun started.

“Thank you. The second part of my plan is easier, something I’ve done before. The first part is harder because I’ve not done it.. but I’m going to do everything I can to help him.”

The necromancer nodded, his eyes drooping. “I need to sleep. Excuse me.” he pushed himself up and left the infirmary.

Andy gave Kiba a small smile before going back to scribbling.

“Do you need anything?”

Andy sighed, “I probably need to rest too, but I want to help Vasha..”

“I know better than to try to force you. I’ll be with Tet in the kitchen.” Kiba kissed her head, then left.

Andy grabbed a bunch of supplies before heading to the rec room. She needed a big enough space to work and figured it would be a decent place away from the infirmary. 

She put out a circle made of candles before standing in the middle of it. She read off the spell she created as she focused on Vasha. She then waited to see if anything would happen.

Slowly a figure began to materialize. It was several minutes before it solidified into Vasha.

“Andy? What is happening?”

“I told you that I’m going to help you, didn’t I? Currently, I just separated your spirit from mine.”

“I have been honored to be your teacher. I am ready to be put to rest.” He closed his eyes and waited.

She shook her head, “I’m not putting you to rest. I’m making you a new body. Unless you’d rather stay dead?”

“Are you not tired of having to aid me?”

“I’m a doctor, aiding people is my job.”

“Semantics, child. I have been nothing but a burden for you since we met.”

“I don’t want you to leave..”

He gave her a brilliant smile. “That is a much truer reason to stay. Am I a ghost now?”

“Right now, yes. Soon, though, I’m making you a body.”

“Shall I haunt the kitchen or your dragon’s office?”

Andy laughed, “If you want to haunt the kitchen go ahead, Tet and Kiba are there. But I should have a body for you pretty quickly.” She grabbed her book and set up for the spell.

Vasha chuckled. “I fear they would think they’d gone crazy because I doubt they could see me.”

Andy shrugged, finishing the spells as she focused on Vasha. Soon, a body began materializing in the circle.

He gave a clap of approval. “You are talented in this.”

“I had to do this for Shouma after Bureau got a hold of him.” When the body was done, she ordered, “Stand in the circle next to the body.”

Vasha inclined his head and complied.

She recited the next spell before focusing her energy into the body. She was a bit surprised to see the normal gold light was still tinted purple.

Vasha vanished, the body blinking its eyes open. “I am in your debt forever it seems.”

She shook her head, “Don’t worry about it.” She began to clean up, swaying slightly. She took a moment before continuing. She finished up then looked at him, “Want to haunt the kitchen now?”

He laughed, then studied her. “I believe you should haunt your bed, child.” He was quiet for a moment. “Tet told me you had no memory of being a witch when he met you. It is amazing how far you have come.”

“Yeah, I was pretty clueless back then,” she admitted.

“Your parents would be immensely proud.”

Andy smiled softly before sighing, “I’m stopping by the kitchen before I head to bed. You might want to make sure everyone knows you’re alive. I know Jun will be happy to see you. Also, not sure what they did with your original body, but it’ll need buried... Also, Jun hung himself in the bookstore earlier so don’t be alarmed when you see a noose...”

“I will take care of everything. You need to rest and replenish your strength. Seltain may be gone, but Bureau is not. And I fear they will be more interested in you than ever.”

“Yeah, I know,” she yawned. “See you later.” She headed to the kitchen to find Tet and Kiba.

They were nursing cups of coffee, their heads propped on their hands.

“Come on guys, let’s go to bed.”

They both jerked awake, giving matching smiles as they saw her.

“You good, darlin?”

“I helped Vasha so now I can rest. Let’s go get some sleep.”

“Best idea I’ve heard all day.” Kiba sleepily pushed himself up.

Andy smiled, taking one of each of their hands and starting out of the kitchen.


	70. Chapter 70

Andy found herself at the front of a room, a large table surrounded by men filled the room. She walked around, trying to see their faces.

She finally backed away when she recognized some of them as wizards she’d eaten. She looked at the others before noticing Seltain and wondered if they were one’s he’d eaten or stole power from. 

They all began talking at once, most yelling threats out to her. She backed away quickly until she hit the wall. 

Her eyes flew open and she found herself still in bed, her breathing rapid.

“Darlin?” Tet’s arms encircled her waist. “Nightmare?”

“I think so..”

“It’s alright. We’re here.” Kiba kissed her gently.

“Sorry if I woke you.”

“No apologies, alright. We are all here to talk so we don’t go completely insane.”

Andy nodded slowly, closing her eyes for a few moments before shaking her head, “I think I’m up now. Maybe I’ll start cooking early..” She pushed herself up.

She glanced in the mirror, freezing when she noticed her eyes flash purple. 

“You alright?” Tet was sitting up now, watching her with concern.

She nodded quickly, “Yeah, I’m fine.” She went and changed before heading to the kitchen.

Shouma and Ryusei were in there, anxiously watching the clock.

“What’s up?” Andy asked.

A buzzer went off and the two eagerly began pulling cookie sheets from the oven.

She rolled her eyes, “Isn’t it a bit early for cookies?”

Shouma looked at her. “It’s never too early for cookies.”

Ryusei tried not to laugh as he transferred the cookies to cooling racks. “They aren’t for us. It’s the squad’s anniversary.”

Andy nodded, “That’ll be nice. I’m sure the others will enjoy them.” She then glanced at Shouma, “You still doing alright?”

The teen nodded. “Thanks to you.”

Andy gave him a small smile before starting to get out ingredients.

Ryusei gave her a look. “Are you okay?”

“Why?”

“You look frightened, the way I used to. You know you can talk to us, right?”

She nodded, “Just had nightmares. I’ll be alright.”

Ryusei sighed, then pushed Shouma out of the kitchen. “Don’t trust you around the cookies.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before continuing to combine ingredients. She then sighed, unsure if she was overreacting to the nightmare.

Vasha appeared, his eyes twinkling as he stole a cookie. “You saw the others?”

She nodded slowly.

He brushed the crumbs from his hands and smiled softly. “They can not harm you. They can merely scare you.” 

“It seems most of them don’t like me.”

“They were all power hungry. They no longer have any power and are upset.” The wizard shrugged and reached for another cookie.

Andy nodded again. “Ryusei is gonna be mad if you eat all the cookies. They’re for the squad.”

“I shall endeavour to refrain then. I hope you are no longer worried.”

She sighed then asked, “My eyes keep flashing purple.. what does that mean?”

He looked thoughtful. “Your powers have been heightened. Perhaps the color of your aura is changing.”

“Is purple good?”

“I do not know. I have never seen that color before. I shall research and return.” He stole another cookie, then vanished.

Andy rolled her eyes and began cooking. She finished, sitting down to start eating.

The squad began silently filing in, the mood tense.

“What’s up guys?” Andy asked quietly.

“Boss is on the phone. By the amount of smoke spilling out the window, I expect a coronary shortly.” Akasa filled a plate and sat down across from her.

“Great.. that’s just what we need right now.”

“If it’s not one thing, it's another. If you wanted quiet, you should have stayed home.” Tet gave a wry chuckle as he entered.

She gave him a small smile in response.

There was a roar of fury from the direction of Tsukasa’s office.

She sighed and shook her head, hoping everything would be okay.

After a minute, Daiki slowly walked in. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re completely screwed. The higher ups made a deal with Bureau.”

Andy’s eyes darkened, “Can’t have a deal if I go destroy Bureau..”

“Are  _ you  _ going to fight the military too?” The vampire raised his head. “We’ve been deemed too much trouble. The MPs are coming for some of us, while others are being reassigned. You, Jun and Kei have been given to Bureau.”

Her eyes blazed, beginning to glow once again. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve threatened to fight the military.”

“Andy, please. Don’t make this worse. I’ve already lost Tsukasa..”

“My job is to protect you guys, whether it’s from the military or the Bureau. I’m not just going to sit and let this happen.”

“They’ll kill you! Tsukasa already flew out of here.. They’re going to kill him.. You should take Jun and Kei and disappear.”

Andy closed her eyes for a moment and studied the memories of the people she fed on. She then narrowed her eyes, “There’s three Bureau locations left. Then we just have to take out their founders.”

“Darlin, do what Daiki says. Take the other witches and hide. Once they have us, it will calm down and you can finish Bureau for good.” Tet gave her a look.

“Either the whole squad hides with us, or I’m going after Bureau.” She answered plainly.

Tet sighed, exchanging looks with Daiki and Akasa. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Why not? You aren’t in charge of me,” Andy growled.

“Because I love you, you stubborn woman! I don’t want to bury you..” Tet exploded. “This isn’t like Branch. We’re not  _ all _ in danger. You have to think about your own life this time!”

Andy growled again. “Bureau is worse than Branch! It has to be taken down anyway, right? Why not now before they hurt anyone else?!”

“Because you’re not thinking straight! You’re angry and that could get you killed. You need to be calm and that can’t happen while we’re around.”

“I’d rather die trying to take them down than let them keep hurting people.” She answered, her voice quiet. “I also don’t know how you think I could be  _ more  _ calm with you not around.” She shook her head. “But fine, whatever. Have fun having the squad torn apart.” She vanished from the kitchen.

“GODDAMMIT!” Tet yelled before focusing on her and vanishing also.

She was in her living room, pacing.

“Darlin.. I’m sorry. I just…” He sank to the floor on his knees, tears streaking his face.

Andy sighed, “Sorry for snapping.”

He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. I just don’t know a way out of this that doesn’t end with you captured or dead.”

“I’m sorry..” she took a deep breath. “I just want to keep the team together and safe.”

“You know I feel the same. But it might be smarter to let us get reassigned and lull the assholes into a false sense of security.”

“If they’re smart, they won’t have a sense of security if they know I’m out there still.”

Tet chuckled.

_ “ANDY! It was a lie… don’t come back…”  _ Daiki’s words turned into a gurgle, then silence.

Andy cursed, “Something’s happening..”

Tet’s eyes blazed. “If they’ve been hurt…”

“Please stay here.. warn everyone else who might be alive. I’m going to go see what’s actually happening.”

“Be damn careful, darlin.” He kissed her hard, then stepped back.

“I love you,” she answered before disappearing. She reappeared at the base and took in the scene.

Most of the squad lay dead before her. Three MPs were laughing as they took turns stabbing Ryusei. “Not so scary now, are you, freak..” They dropped him as they saw her.

She muttered a spell, dropping the three of them to the ground paralyzed but still alive. She took the knife from them, stabbing them in places they’d bleed to death painfully before moving to the squad. She carried everyone into the infirmary before going back to make sure the three MPs were finally dead. She then searched the base looking for anyone else.

Tsukasa staggered toward her, blood pouring from multiple wounds. “I tried..to stop them...I’m sor--” He pitched forward and lay still.

Andy took him to the infirmary before counting and going through the list in her mind to see who was still missing.

Kei was unaccounted for, as was Shouma.

_ “Tet, did you get a hold of anyone? Kei and Shouma are missing..” _

_ “Only Rhona and Touma. None of the others have answered. Vasha hasn’t seen anyone, so hopefully he’s safe for now.” _

_ “This is going to take a long time.. Come help set up transfusions while I try to heal people.. And be ready, it’s pretty bad.” _

Seconds later, he was beside her. He paled as he surveyed the room, his eyes resting on Ryusei. “I’m going to wipe them off the map. Delete them from history. No one will remember their names…”

“You have to be calm, Tet.” She mock answered in reference to their earlier conversation. She started going through everyone, healing them one by one.

Tet gave her a glare before setting up transfusions. “You aren’t funny. Was this Bureau’s doing?”

“All I found were three MPs.”

“Fuck. So we don’t know who has our missing people.”

“Right. But I plan to find out once I take care of everyone here.”

She continued on healing people until they were all decent enough to try reviving. She pushed energy throughout the room, covering everyone except Tet in light.

Everyone gasped for air and Tet let out a relieved breath.

“Andy? Are you alright?” Vasha’s worried voice met her ears.

“Well the whole squad just got murdered... but outside of that, I guess I’m okay. Why?” She looked up.

He was disheveled, his hair matted with blood. “You seem to be popular with our enemies today.”

She went over to him and checked him over, saying a couple spells to heal up any wounds. “Who attacked you? Bureau or the MPs?”

“I am unsure. I was on my way here in regards to our previous conversation. I decided to walk instead of teleport. I saw several men with your picture. I began to teleport when one of them muttered a negation spell and they overwhelmed me.”

Andy sighed, “Of course..”

“Child, do you still wish the answer to your question?”

“Yeah, I do,” she answered.

He gave her a smile. “I am happy to report purple eyes have been seen before. Long ago in a powerful female wizard, Gansial.”

“So, it’s not a bad thing?”

“No, child. It is yours.” He handed her an old locket. “You are simply rediscovering it.”

She took the locket in confusion, looking it over.

“Open it.”

She did as instructed.

On the left was a picture of Tet, the other a picture of him and a woman who matched her.

“I don’t understand..?”

“That is Gansial and her love Martinous. Two thousand years ago, they ruled the wizard world. They were the ones who banished Seltain originally.”

Andy nodded slowly.

Vasha turned to Tet. “The visitations you had were memories of Gansial.”

Tet’s eyes went wide.

“So.. we’re reincarnations?” Andy finally put it together. 

“Yes. Do you wish to know the rest?”

Andy nodded again.

Vasha sighed. “Seltain returned and killed Martinous. Before he died, Martinous gave Gansial to his best friend Karlon. They had all been lovers once. Gansial and Karlon fought to avenge Martinous, but were themselves killed. Thus how Seltain came to power fully.” The wizard walked to Kiba’s side and gazed at him. “He does not remember details, only the strength of his love for you both.”

Andy looked thoughtful but stayed quiet.

“You three finally managed to destroy Seltain together. Do not be afraid of your power, Andy. It is yours and you will do wonderful things with it.”

“Thank you.”

Vasha bowed. “Do you wish help?”

“Just keep yourself safe, okay? We aren’t really sure what is going on yet.”

“As you wish.”

Andy put the locket around her neck, tucking it into her shirt before sitting down and looking at everyone.

Ryusei shot up, crying Shouma’s name.

“We’re going to find him, don’t worry,” Andy said softly.

“They’re going to kill him..again. They’re trying to bait you so they can finally capture you.. He said you would be joining Kiba in pieces..” The porter trembled with the memory.

“Pieces... It’s that damn CO isn’t it?” Andy growled.

Ryusei finally calmed down, nodding his head. “He said we weren’t fit to be commanded by him so we had to die..”

“I’m going to go kill that asshole,” Andy pushed herself up.

“ **We’re** going to kill him. You aren’t leaving my sight, darlin.”

Andy sighed, “No way I can convince you to stay here and stay safe?”

“And let you possibly get killed or worse?” He shook his head. “No way in hell. If we go, we go together.” He stilled, his eyes clouding. “I suddenly feel deja vu…”

“Stay, please.”

“Darlin…” His eyes rolled up suddenly and he fell towards her.

She caught him then checked him over.

“Merely a sleep spell, child. I figured it would be easier.” Vasha gave her a small smile.

“Thank you.” She gave him a small smile before moving Tet to a bed before taking a deep breath and vanishing. 

  
She’d focused on the CO, knowing he was the one causing the problems. She hoped Kei and Shouma would be nearby.

“If it isn’t the witch that destroyed my plan.. You really do wish to be reunited with that wolf, don’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll send that tiger to you as well when I find him.”

Andy growled, “What’s your problem with us anyway? We didn’t do anything to you.”

“You exist. Monsters aren’t supposed to be real and definitely not sanctioned. Things like you are supposed to be exterminated.”

Andy rolled her eyes, starting to mutter a spell under her breath.

The CO pulled a bound Shouma in front of him with a laugh. “Are you going to kill this poor boy again?”

Andy’s eyes darkened before she shifted into a snake, quickly slithering behind the CO.

He calmly turned and stomped his boot on her. “I know your tricks, witch.” He produced a syringe of black fluid and injected it into the teen’s neck, then threw him aside. The man applied pressure to Andy with a laugh. “You stay like this and killing you will be easy.”

Andy reverted back with a groan. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing before holding her hand out and shooting electricity toward the man.

He grunted as it hit him, but didn’t go down. After a minute, he laughed again. “Nice. But it’s not enough to take me down.” He quickly wrapped ropes around her. “My brother will enjoy taking your power after he’s done with the other one.” He picked up Andy and carried her further into the building.

Andy muttered a spell, large slashes appearing on the man’s chest.

He screamed, dropping her as he clutched at the wounds. “You bitch!”

She struggled to push herself up enough to headbutt into him.

He fell back, his head slamming into the floor.

Andy shifted, clawing through the ropes and biting into the man’s throat.

He let out a faint whimper, then went silent.

Andy ran back to Shouma, teleporting him to the infirmary and ordering whoever was awake to start working on an antidote. She then disappeared again, focusing on Kei.

He lay deathly still inside a circle as a wizard chanted above him. Green light was spilling from his chest, the wizard collecting it in a vial.

Andy shifted again, pouncing at the wizard.

He looked up with a sinister smile, then paused the spell. He extended his other hand and sent electricity into her. “Wait your turn.”

She groaned, trying to stay upright. She reverted, starting to mutter a spell.

The wizard laughed, muttering a spell of silence at her before resuming his chanting.

She pounced again, turning into a snake midair and wrapping herself around him.

His voice faltered as he fought her, pulling in vain as she squeezed.

She bit into him hard as the rest of her body constricted.

He flailed wildly, finally toppling to the ground and lying still.

She quickly went to Kei, checking him over.

He was pale, his skin cold. No pulse met her fingers.

She forced energy into him, praying to revive him. 

He remained still, the green light beginning to vanish into the air.

Andy focused on the green light, deciding to force energy into it to see if it would help anything as she tried to think of more ideas.

It flared, becoming stronger as the vial flew out of the wizard’s hand and towards Kei.

She continued pushing energy into the light as well as Kei’s body, watching what was happening.

The vial tipped, the light rushing back into Kei’s chest. The witch inhaled sharply, then blinked his eyes open. “Andy?”

“Oh thank god,” Andy said quietly. “Yeah, everything is okay, don’t worry.”

“Shouma..where is he?” Kei tried to rise, his body trembling with exertion.

“He’s back at base. The others were taking care of him.” She grabbed onto his arm gently, “Let’s get you back as well.” She teleported him there and helped him into a bed before going to check on Shouma.

Jun and Vasha gave her tired looks. “He’s alright now. It was touch and go for a while. The poison kept changing everytime we got close to eradicating it. But we finally wiped it out.”

Andy nodded, sitting down for a moment and stretching out. “I should probably make sure there wasn’t anyone else there that needed to be taken out.. But I did rescue Kei and Shouma so it might be okay to leave it..” She looked thoughtful but tired.

“You need to rest. Let us heal your wounds. Then you can calm your lovers, so they don’t try to kill me.” Vasha chuckled.

Andy nodded again, “Bureau is still going to be an issue though. And who knows who else in the military is going to be after us, especially since I killed that CO.”

“That CO was rogue. Katshiro never issued the order to take us. We’re safe on that end.” Tsukasa sat up slowly.

“Well that’s good, I guess.” 

“Darlin, you alright?” Tet stalked into the room, glaring at Vasha.

“I’ll be fine, relax.”

He scowled, but settled for kissing her hard. “You found our wayward boys?”

“Yeah, they’re safe now.”

“Good.” He moved aside as Jun and Vasha covered her in light.

“Can anyone tell me why I’m always picked on?” Ryusei whined from his bed.

“I don’t know. Maybe cause you’re the best on the squad?” Andy chuckled. “Or they like picking on the younger ones.”

“It’s not fair. Not my fault I look young.” The tech genius sat up and sobered. “Are we disavowed? Is that why they let him attack us?”

“Pretty sure he just attacked us cause he’s an ass.”

“Not disavowed. He went rogue, according to Katshiro.” Tsukasa sighed. “Andy took him out though. Just have to wipe Bureau off the map, then we can go back to worrying about idiot dictators and the like.”

Andy nodded, “Well, three buildings and three founders to take out.. How do we want to do this?”

“Split into groups and hit them simultaneously?” Kiba suggested as he sat up. “I don’t really care as long as I get to rip someone apart. Feeling vengeful.”

“I wonder if we can get the founders all in one place..” Andy looked thoughtful.

Tet frowned. “If we knew who they were, maybe. As it is, we’re still in the dark.”

Akira suddenly appeared, pitching into Tet’s arms. “You have to help…” His eyes were painfilled, although no injuries were visible.

“Help who? What happened?”

“Taka..he was grabbed on assignment. Don’t know who. Just.. he’s in pain.” The phoenix arched his back, his breath rapid and strained.

Andy stood, focusing on Taka before vanishing.

He was hanging by his wrists, writhing as a cattle prod was pressed against him. His scream was weak, drowned out by the laughter of his torturers.

Andy growled, shifting and running at them, starting to claw into them.

They tried to run, screams loud in the small room. One brandished the prod in a vain attempt to protect himself.

Andy got most of them down before she felt the prod jabbed into her. She let out a loud growl before biting the one holding it. When he was down, she reverted, working on getting Taka free. She teleported him to the infirmary, moving slowly as she got him into a bed and began saying spells to help with the pain.

Jun murmured a spell towards her as he stood over Akira.

Andy took a deep breath before saying more spells for Taka.

Tet began massaging her shoulders. “Neural link. Both a blessing and a curse. We wouldn’t have known Taka was missing, but it seems to hurt the non injured twin worse.”

Andy sighed, “Not sure who those guys were. At least he’s safe now. Is anyone else out on missions that we need to worry about?”

“Kai is supposed to be on his way back. He didn’t answer when I called him though.” Tet began to pace. “Don’t know if that asshole had more men, we don’t have any idea what Bureau is planning. I hate waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Andy nodded, “I’ll go find Kai.” She kissed him before teleporting away.

She reappeared in a small hotel room. It looked normal, Kai’s bag sitting neatly packed on the bed. The radio was on a talk radio station and the bathroom door was closed.

“Kai? Are you in there?” She knocked on the door.

It swung open, revealing bloodstains on the floor. The shower curtain was around the bathtub, smears of blood drying on it.

“Kai..?” Andy glanced in the bathtub.

He lay sprawled inside, his eyes staring at her sightlessly. He’d been stabbed repeatedly and his throat slashed. Blood covered him and half filled the tub.

Andy took a deep breath, starting to say spells to close up the wounds. After a long while, she cleaned the rest of the blood off of him then teleported him to the infirmary. She got him on a bed and set up a transfusion. When it was done, she focused on trying to revive him.

He slowly took in air, remaining unconscious.

She finished making sure his vitals were steady before sitting back down. 

Kiba walked in, then froze. “Him too?”

She nodded in response.

“I swear I’m going to destroy whoever is doing this. There won’t be enough left to bury.”

She sighed, “I’m betting it’s Bureau related.”

“They’re calling you out. Making the deal with the CO, attacking the ones out on assignment..They  _ want _ you angry and looking for them.” Kiba scowled. “It’s a damn trap.”

“I know, but we can’t just ignore it. And what do they even want from me this time? They’re as bad as Branch at screwing me up, but have they reached the point they’re done and just want me dead? Or do they have some other fucked up plan for me?”

“Who knows? What I don’t want to happen is you waltzing into it and giving them what they want. You should stay here while we go after them.”

“You really think I can just wait around wondering if you guys are getting hurt?”

“You think we can fight knowing they could grab you or worse right in front of us?”

She sighed, “Alright.. but I’m only giving you two hours. After that, I’m showing up and helping.”

He grinned, then kissed her. “Make a victory feast, why don’t you? Make sure it’s done in an hour.” He left the infirmary whistling.

Andy sighed, trying to not worry too much about them.

Ten minutes later, Daiki came in. “You okay?”

She nodded, “Just worried about the whole situation.”

He gave her a small smile. “I’d worry if you weren’t. But we both know when they put their minds to something, they don’t let anything stop them.”

Andy nodded, “I hate not being there helping.”

“Join the club. I drew the short straw to protect you.”

“Sorry,” she chuckled. “Am I not even allowed to protect myself?”

“You know the saying, two heads are better than one.”

“Not going to lie, since I ate all those wizards, I feel like I have a ton of heads in here. So many memories and spells to go through...” she trailed off. 

“See? You have something to occupy yourself. Before you know it, they will be back and probably want to eat.”

Andy chuckled, “Kiba  _ did _ tell me to make a feast.”

Daiki laughed. “I’ll help.”

Andy smiled and headed for the kitchen. She paused when she heard a noise from outside.

Daiki exchanged looks with her, then went out the door.

After a minute of him not returning, she stuck her head outside. She was met by multiple men, some dressed in white coats, some not. They grabbed her quickly and she fought to get free. She tried to say the teleportation spell but was injected with something. She tried to use her other spells but she found her magic wasn’t working right. She bit a couple men before she was tied up. She kept fighting the ties until she was injected with something else. She felt herself growing weak and tired.”

_ “Tet.. Kiba.. I’m sorry.. Bureau ambushed base.”  _ She was thrown into a darkened van, no clue where they were going. She struggled to stay awake longer but was quickly losing the battle.

_ “We  _ **_will_ ** _ find you.” _ Jun answered quietly.

She wanted to respond but finally lost consciousness.

She awoke chained to a wall, hanging by her wrists. She looked around and found herself in a cell.

Three tall people entered, dressed in red robes. One injected her with something before speaking, “You belong to us now. You’ll do our bidding. Do you understand?”

“Go to hell.”

“Inject her with a larger dose,” one of the others mentioned.

Andy was stuck with another large syringe full of liquid. They waited a few minutes before trying again.

“I’m not doing what you say,” Andy answered.

The first one growled, “This works on everyone else. Why not her?”

“She’s probably too strong,” the third answered.

“Well if we can’t have her to ourselves, we’ll just have to get rid of her.”

“Let’s have some fun,” the second smirked.

The first rolled his eyes, “Do whatever you please. Just make sure she’s dead by the end of it.”

The third went and grabbed something, injecting it into Andy. She felt like her arm was on fire. It slowly spread throughout her body and she struggled not to let out a scream.

The second went and grabbed a simple baseball bat, beginning to hit Andy repeatedly. He smiled every time he heard a cracking noise or a whimper come from her.

She sagged when he finally stepped away again. The third came back with a large weapon that looked similar to a sword mixed with a saw. He began chopping and sawing at her leg slowly, injecting her with something to prevent her from bleeding to death too fast. She screamed and soon lost consciousness. The man finished sawing her leg off, the second laughing evilly. He was about to start on another limb when the door flew open.

Vasha trembled in fury, his hands glowing. He muttered a spell and both men were engulfed in flame. He quickly went to Andy, repositioning the leg and focusing. It slowly rejoined her body and when it was complete, Vasha broke the chains and teleported her to the infirmary.

Andy woke in a panicked state, breathing fast and eyes darting around the room.

“Relax, child. You are safe and whole.”

She slowly calmed, wincing as she sat up. “What’s going on?”

“The Bureau bases are destroyed. The men at the base you were at are dead. The squad are on alert for reprisals.”

Andy nodded slowly before her eyes narrowed, “What aren’t you telling me?”

“You are alone.” Vasha averted his eyes.

She froze, “No.. Where are they? There has to be something I can do..”

“They apparently sacrificed themselves to destroy two of the bases. They refused to let anyone else fight.”

Tears filled her eyes and she went silent.

Tsukasa entered slowly. “You’re awake.”

She nodded, not looking up from the bed.

“I’m sorry, Andy. I tried to stop them.” He paused, then sat down. “Three of us gone.”

“Who’s the third?”

“My idiot. He was gone when we got back and we haven’t found him. I had hoped he was with you.”

“He went outside before me.. I thought he just got killed or something..” she sighed and tried to push herself up, wincing when she put weight on her leg.

“Rest, Andy. You are whole, but still healing.” Vasha gently pushed her down.

Andy looked at Vasha, “You saved me? How many people were there that you took out?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Two evil men who were purified by my flame.”

Andy shook her head, “There’s a third.. Somewhere.”

“Dammit. I was hoping we were done.” Tsukasa slammed a fist into the wall.

She went quiet again, staring numbly at the blanket.

The porters suddenly appeared, holding Tet and Kiba. They quietly lay the two still forms down, then retreated from the room.

Andy looked at them for a moment before pushing herself back up. She sat in a chair between them before pushing light into the bodies.

Tet sucked in air, coughing as the broken bones healed inside him. He blinked hazy eyes open to look at her. “Darlin..”

She gave him a small smile as she continued to push energy in, working to heal him and still trying to revive Kiba.

Kiba didn’t move, his face peaceful as the cuts and bruises disappeared.

She checked Tet over before focusing all her energy into Kiba. She pushed as hard as she could, forcing in large amounts of light.

Vasha watched for a moment, then touched her arm. “Andy, he’s gone.”

“No..” She continued to force energy into him for a few minutes before commenting, “Can you get Jun to try and help me..? We’ve done it before with two when I couldn’t on my own..”

Vasha bowed his head and exited the room. Jun entered a few moments later. “Andy..”

“Just.. try with me please?”

“I tried after the battle. But I will try again for you.” He mingled his light with hers.

Andy prayed it would work. 

Kiba twitched, taking a shuddery breath. His face grimaced in pain.

Andy quickly said multiple spells to try to help control the pain as well as heal up anything else that could be wrong.

“He had multiple darts in him when he was pulled out. I couldn’t identify the substance on them.” Jun sighed.

Andy grabbed a blood sample from Kiba before limping to the office and testing the blood. She made an antidote she hoped would help before going back to him and injecting it.

He quieted, but didn’t wake.

_ “Andy...help me..” _ Daiki’s voice was almost inaudible.

Andy took a deep breath before going to kiss Kiba and Tet. She then vanished from the infirmary.

Daiki was bound to a stake, flames raging around him. His head lay on his chest, and she couldn’t tell if he was breathing.

Andy said a spell making water fall onto the fire. When it was out, she moved to him and unbound him. She quickly teleported him to safety before going back and looking for the final founder.

“You think you’ve won?”

“Once I get through you maybe.”

“As if you have a chance.” 

Andy growled, shifting and pouncing at him.

He evaded easily, backhanding her.

She fell before struggling to her feet. She circled him for a few moments before lunging again.

He grabbed her around the neck and squeezed. “I am the head of Bureau. Did you think I would be easy to kill?”

She kicked out, digging her back claws into him.

He laughed, wrenching the paws back until they snapped.

She let out a weak noise before shifting into a snake and trying to bite his hand.

He grabbed her head and squeezed with a smile. “Give up and come quietly.”

Andy reverted, struggling to breathe, “Why.. do you want.. Me?”

“You are Gansial. The strongest witch of her time. With you under my control, I will rule the world.” 

Andy tried to stay on her feet, pain flowing through her from multiple places. She weakly shook her head, “I’m not going to let you control me.” She began muttering a spell.

“Continue and I will set off the bomb in your base.”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “When..?”

“When we took you. Wanted a back up plan in case things went wrong.” He smiled cruelly. “Will you be responsible for all your friends dying? Or do you submit?”

_ “Tsukasa.. He’s saying there’s a bomb in the base..” _

_ “We’ll find it. Andy, be advised. Vasha is coming for you and he’s pissed.” _

“Alright..” Andy said quietly to the Bureau leader.  _ “I can’t do anything until you guys find the bomb.. And is Vasha pissed at me? I was just trying to save Daiki..” _

_ “No. From what I gather, he’s pissed at the man you’re fighting.” _

_ “I have to give myself up for now.. once you find it, let me know and I can finish him.” _

_ “Understood.” _

She was suddenly torn free of the man’s grip and pushed backwards.

She fell hard to the ground after losing her balance before looking up to see what was happening.

Vasha was glowing, his face a mask of rage. “You have done enough harm. May you fix your mistakes before returning to this world.” He wrapped his arms around the man and burst into flame.

Andy watched with wide eyes.

The man screamed as he burned, finally quieting as he turned into bones, then ash. He blew away in the wind as the flames died.

Andy leaned back with a relieved sigh.

Vasha stumbled to her side, pushing weak energy in an attempt to heal her wounds.

“Don’t worry about me, just rest,” Andy touched his arm before teleporting them to the infirmary. She said a sleep spell and then struggled to catch him and get him into a bed. She climbed into a bed of her own, mentally going through a checklist of her injuries as she slowly passed out.


	71. Chapter 71

“Good thing she warned us. That damn thing would have vaporized the whole base.” Ryusei’s voice was relieved.

“Good job. Get some sleep.” Tsukasa’s voice answered.

Andy blinked her eyes open, groaning as the pain came back to her. 

“Relax, Andy.” Jun muttered a relief spell from his seat beside her. “We’re safe.”

She nodded slowly, looking around the room.

“Everyone’s awake aside from Vasha.” Tsukasa gave her a smile. “We have you to thank again.”

“Just trying to help..” she muttered quietly before asking, “How is Vasha?”

“Not good. Whatever he did, it’s causing his body to completely shut down.” Jun rubbed his face.

Andy tried to push herself up to get to him, but her legs gave out when she tried to stand.

“Andy! You have to rest. You had us worried.” Jun caught and pushed her back on the bed. “You need to stay in bed.”

“I need to help him..”

“You can’t if you’re in a coma. Now lay down!”

She took a deep breath and tried to relax. “I hate feeling useless.”

“You are far from useless. You warned us about the bomb. You’ve been healing almost non stop for hours. You need to rest. That’s an order.” Tsukasa stared sternly at her.

“Vasha survived long before we met him. Just trust he can again.” Jun gave her a small smile.

Andy nodded slowly, laying back against the pillow. “Bureau might be gone but I fear our problems are far from over.”

“What else is new?” Tsukasa gave a rueful chuckle. “We attract the lunatics.”

She chuckled softly, “I guess that’s true.”

“I’ve got to go deal with the Council. They’re bitching more than Katshiro. Maybe you should eat them for me…” Tsukasa looked thoughtful, then laughed and left.

Andy sighed, closing her eyes to sleep.

When she woke, she noticed no one in the room except Vasha. She struggled to her feet and limped over to him, checking him over. She tried pushing energy into him for a while before sighing and dropping her hands. She tried to think of what could help him and she began searching through the books in her office. Eventually, she thought of something that could help. She tried to remember where she’d seen it and finally remembered the bookstore. She teleported there, looking around until she found the item needed. She was about to teleport back when she bumped into a trunk. She winced before staring at the trunk. It felt like it was calling to her. 

  
She knelt down and opened it, gasping when she recognized the items. She looked through them slowly until she came to a picture of what looked like herself, Tet, and Kiba. She knew it wasn’t them now though, it was their past lives. She then found a small book. It wasn’t a book of shadows, but a smaller book, almost like a diary. She pocketed it to read later before going through more of the items. She found an intricately designed ring with a large purple gem on it. She slid it on her finger, finding it fit perfectly. She was about to take it off when she heard a voice in her mind saying “ _ Keep it.”  _ She frowned but kept it on. Closing the trunk, she stood back up and teleported to the infirmary. She went to Vasha and placed the crystal on his chest before reciting a spell.

His vitals began stabilizing, his color returning. He reached for her hand without opening his eyes. “Safe?”

“Everything is alright. Just relax,” she said softly.

A smile flitted across his face, then his breathing slipped into the rhythm of sleep.

Andy slowly moved back to bed, wincing as she climbed in and settled. 

Akasa entered, giving her a disapproving look as he scanned Vasha. He refrained from lecturing her, just checking her over.

Andy glanced over at him, “Can I have some pain meds..?”

He nodded, leaving her side. He returned a few minutes later and gently injected her. “You better stay in bed this time.”

She nodded, “Vasha is better and that’s what I was worried about. So unless something else happens, I promise not to leave the bed.” She relaxed as the medicine kicked in, soon falling back to sleep. 

She woke and pulled out the diary, beginning to read it silently.

Tet entered, going to her side and kissing her. “Glad to see you awake.” He sat down and took her hand. “If you had to go back to the clinic for good, could you?” 

She stared at him, “Why?”

“The Council is pushing for our dissolution. Apparently we’re too good at meshing.”

Andy growled, “They’re assholes.”

“I don’t disagree. They pitched this as an experiment to see if we could get along after being segregated for centuries. Then we show it can be done and they get nervous they may lose their power over the communities. They’ve thrived on us being afraid and evenly openly hostile to each other..”

“From what I’m reading, people got along alright way before the Council existed. I think they are the ones causing the problems between the groups...”

“The Council  _ was _ created by Seltain after all. Would make sense he would try to keep us from banding together to get rid of him.”

“I don’t think we ever needed someone in charge, but it definitely shouldn’t be a group created by Seltain..” 

“I agree. But we can’t just go in and get rid of them. They’ll claim it’s a power grab and brand us as turncoats to tradition and the status quo.” He scowled. “I just hope Boss is going to be okay going to talk to them.”

“You could all just leave the military, and we could go buy a big house and live together and relax,” Andy suggested. “Though, we’d still be all getting along which the Council wouldn’t like.”

“The Council rules the magic community, not the military. Even if we left, we’d be subject because of what we are.”

“But we aren’t all just going to split up. Even if they force us to other places, we’re going to visit each other and stay friends. And you and Kiba better not leave me.”

“If the squad is dissolved, we’ll be returned to our separate communities. Probably kept sequestered for the rest of our lives. We’ll never see each other again, more so if people choose to stay in the military.”

Andy growled, “I’m not just going to let people tear us apart.”

“Exactly why Boss went to talk to them. He was hoping they’d listen. That was a few hours ago.” Tet sighed and kissed her hand with a forced smile.

“Would you and Kiba quit? We could all live together.. We  _ are  _ all shifters, after all. They can’t be too mad.”

“The Council considers you a witch, not a shifter. But I would quit in a heartbeat. I’m sure furball would do the same.”

“I don’t want to lose anyone, but especially not the two of you.”

“Pray the Council listens.” Tet turned as Kiba walked slowly in. “Furball?”

Andy finally put the diary down, “You okay?”

“Katshiro bowed to the pressure. We’ve been dissolved. The Council is allowing those of us wanting to stay to be reassigned. Anyone wanting out has been ordered back to our communities by tomorrow.”

Andy’s eyes blazed, “Those fucking assholes.”

“It gets worse..” Kiba’s eyes were filled with tears. “Boss..he fought the order..” He turned to the wall, his shoulders shaking silently.

Tet closed his eyes as he comprehended the statement. “We’re screwed now.”

Andy took a deep breath before pushing herself off the bed.

“Wonder how hard it would be to disappear?” Tet quietly mused.

“Not too hard but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”

“Most of the squad are packing. Some are staying, willing to take their chances with reassignment. Others are on the fence. Several are not sure where they’re going, like Yuki and Jun. Quite a few have resigned themselves and will be ready by the deadline.” Kiba’s voice was quiet as he turned back to them.

“What are you two doing?” Andy was quiet as her mind tried to figure out what exactly she wanted to do. She knew the other two wouldn’t like what she was planning though so she was going to keep herself quiet.

“Darlin..either way we go, we’ll be forced to leave you. You’re not really military, so you can’t be reassigned. And the Council says you’re a witch and can’t be with us. Running is the only option if we want to stay together.” Tet sighed as he looked at Kiba.

“You two could retire. Get a place together and try to move past everything.”

“Not without you. We’d rather die.” They said in unison.

Kiba dropped his head. “If you don’t want to run, I understand. You had a life before that you can go back to. I’ll put in for a combat squad.” He walked out of the infirmary as Tet scowled.

Andy limped out after him, “Kiba, wait.”

He stopped, but didn’t turn. “I know what you’re going to say, but don’t. My brother is dead, and either choice I make will rip my heart out. So, I choose to go back to the NightStalkers with Touma and Rhona. At least that way, I won’t be completely alone.”

“I’m not going back to my old life. But I’m also not running.”

“The Council will kill you..I’ll still be alone.”

“I’m sorry.” She sighed. “Just remember I love you. Maybe in our next life the three of us can live peaceful lives.” She went to him and slipped the purple ring from earlier into his hand, “You don’t even remember our past life together either, but this was from you. Keep it and remember how much I love you.” She kissed the back of his head before vanishing.

He stared at the ring, his eyes filling with tears. He howled, then vanished.

The locket appeared in front of Tet, falling into his hand.

Andy then changed, preparing herself before teleporting to the Council’s location.

Tet clutched the locket tight before murmuring the spell and vanishing.

“Dr. Takimoto. The decision of the Council is final.” A bearded man said smugly, seated at a conference table with the other members. There was a bloodstain near the door, several servants working to clean it.

“I know, I’m not here to argue.”

“I am pleasantly surprised. I was led to believe you were even more stubborn than the late lamented Colonel Kadoya. What can we do for you then?”

“Oh, I  _ am _ more stubborn than Kadoya. I’m not here to argue, I’m here to kill you,” she said plainly, holding her hand out. The group was shoved into the wall roughly before shocked with lightning. 

“Having fun darlin?” Tet drawled as he appeared beside her.

She muttered a spell, consuming the Council members in fire. She then looked at Tet, “Quite a bit, actually.”

He chuckled darkly. “Should I go make lunch? Or will you be full?”

“If there’s anything left to eat after the fire, I’ll definitely eat them. Maybe it’ll roast them perfectly.”

“Gotcha.” His eyes darkened as he looked at the huddled servants. “What about them?”

“I doubt they care, I’m not going to just kill innocents. Plus, they can lead us to Tsukasa.” She approached the Council members, putting a fire out one by one before ripping into them and feeding. When she got through with them all, she looked back at Tet, “Maybe the squad can take over the Council..”

He shrugged, then looked at her. “What happened with furball? I heard him howling, but when I went out, he was gone.”

“He’s convinced he’s going to be alone but I tried to tell him to remember me. I honestly didn’t think they’d be this easy to take out...”

“So we’re going to have to save both of them..just a normal day in our lives, right?”

Andy sighed, “Let’s go find Tsukasa then we can find Kiba.” She looked at the servants and asked them to show her where he was taken.

They took her to a trash bin in the basement, then huddled together in fear of her reaction.

Tet clenched his fists in rage.

Andy took a deep breath, “You guys don’t have to worry. I’m not going to hurt you.” She grabbed onto Tsukasa and pulled him out, checking for the worst of the damage.

One stab wound through the chest and out the back was the only injury.

Andy worked on healing before pushing energy into him in an attempt to revive him.

He inhaled sharply, his hands balling into fists as his eyes opened. He started to swing at her, then froze. “Andy? Tet? What are you doing here?”

“Saving you.. murdering the Council..” Andy shrugged.

Tsukasa’s eyes widened in shock. “You what?!”

She shrugged again.

He shook his head. “Never mind, I need plausible deniability when Katshiro calls. Hopefully I’ll be able to get hammered before the lecture.”

“Let’s get him back to base then go find Kiba,” Andy glanced at Tet. She turned quickly when she heard a noise behind her. She barely dodged in time as a dagger was stabbed toward her.

“You’re the one who killed the others, aren’t you?” A tall man asked angrily.

“Oh, looks like we missed one,” Andy answered before starting a spell.

He pulled out a second dagger slicing them at her. She backed away, forcing lightning into the man. He managed to stay on his feet and growled, running at her. 

She backed up while saying another spell but was stopped when her leg gave out making her fall to the ground. He stabbed into her stomach with one of the daggers, laughing evilly.

Tet snarled, jumping onto him as his claws appeared.

He tried to stab at Tet with the remaining dagger but missed. He hissed as the claws dug into him.

Andy finished her spell weakly, the man falling to the ground.

Tet took a deep breath, then went to one side as Tsukasa went to the other. Together they picked her up and Tet said the teleportation spell.

They reappeared in the infirmary, Tet waving Akasa over frantically.

The nurse rolled his eyes, then began healing spells as he staunched the blood flow.

“We.. have to find Kiba..” Andy looked at Tet. “Before he does something stupid..”

“If he’s breathing, he’s doing something stupid. Any idea where he could be?” Tsukasa sighed.

She frowned before focusing on Kiba,  _ “Hey.. I saved Tsukasa.. please come back..” _

_ “I’m sorry..I should have stayed..See you in a second..” _

Andy looked confused for a moment, “ _ Where are you?” _

_ “I ran into some not very nice people..”  _ Kiba appeared, swaying. One hand was pressed to his side, the other his chest. Blood covered his face as he fought for breath. He saw her and stumbled forward, but didn’t make it to her. He fell, trembling in shock.

“Dammit! What the hell did you do?” Tsukasa fell to his knees and tried to stop the bleeding.

“The group that grabbed Kenji..went to our bar trying to start trouble...I kicked their asses until the leader played dirty..” Kiba’s hand was tightly holding something. “They tried to take it…”

Andy weakly pushed herself up, ignoring the fact her wound hadn’t fully closed yet. She knelt beside him, closing her eyes and pushing energy into him.

“I’m...sorry.” He pushed the item into her hand. “I don’t deserve this…” His eyes slid closed as he slumped into Tsukasa’s arms.

“Kiba? No...don’t you do this to me…” The dragon searched for a pulse, his hand shaking.

Andy continued to push energy into him, refusing to let him go. She struggled to keep herself upright, finally moving from kneeling to sitting. She kept working, ignoring her own pain.

“Andy, stop. His pulse is back. You have to finish getting healed.” Tsukasa gently touched her arm.

She nodded slowly, struggling to push herself back onto the bed.

Tsukasa helped her get situated, then lifted Kiba onto the adjoining bed. Akasa began reciting spells over both of them as Tet sat down hard.

“Katshiro is going to blow his top.”

The dragon shrugged. “He bowed, now he’s gotta deal with the fallout. But that’s my problem. You guys need to focus on healing.”

Andy glanced over at him weakly, “Sorry.. If I was going to be separated from everyone, I couldn’t handle going back to regular life so it seemed like a good idea...” She then smirked, “And they were so damn tasty.”

Tsukasa cracked up, holding his sides as he laughed. “I can’t imagine life without you.”

She gave a small smile as she took a deep breath and relaxed onto the bed as some of the pain started fading.

Akasa sighed. “Do you think it’s possible for you  _ not _ to wreck my hard work and stay healthy longer than a day?”

“Hey, I took out all but one of the Council without getting hurt. He just snuck up on me..”

Akasa huffed, moving toward the office. “I mean in general, miss smartass.”

She chuckled softly as she rubbed her leg gently. “I’ll try harder.”

Tet wrapped his hand around hers, then bent and kissed her softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Thank you for not thinking I’m crazy for killing the Council...”

“Everyone is better off without them. I should probably tell everyone to get unpacked, shouldn’t I?”

“At least warn them they might not be going anywhere. See what Katshiro has to say before fully telling them to unpack.”

“Alright. I’ll be back.” He kissed her again, then left quickly.

Andy leaned back, glancing over at Kiba quietly as she rested.


	72. Chapter 72

Andy rested against the pillow, pulling out the small diary from her pocket. She found the page she left off on and continued to read about Gansial’s life. As she did, more of the memories began feeling familiar to her and she even began having small visions of what happened outside of just what was in the diary. She was completely engulfed in the diary, not hearing anything happening around her.

“Oi, Andy!” Akasa’s voice finally pierced her reverie, Vasha’s soft laughter accompanying the outburst.

She glanced up, “Huh?”

Vasha quieted, looking at her with a smile. “I merely wanted to check on your leg. I see you have found Gansial’s journal.”

“Sorry, I accidentally bumped into the chest while getting something for you at the bookshop...” She said softly. “And it’s sore still but at least I have it, right?”

“Do not apologize for retrieving what is yours, child. And that is a good way to look at it.” He gently laid a hand on her leg and focused, his pink energy sinking into the skin.

She relaxed a bit as some of the pain faded. “Thank you.”

“It is the least I can do.” He caressed her hair softly. “You are quite amazing.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Really? Why?”

“For one thing, you did not run from your heritage. You did not call me a liar when I told you of Gansial. You have put yourself in harm’s way multiple times for us when you could have abandoned us. Why do you not see your worth?”

She sighed, “Guess I’m too used to focusing on all the bad parts.”

He smiled softly. “Child, the painful parts are but seconds in a lifetime. You must learn to focus on all the minutes of beauty in life.”

She nodded, “Slowly working on it.”

He chuckled and dipped his head. “I must return to the shop. Heal well.” He disappeared quietly.

She gave a small smile before continuing to read the diary.

Tet entered, giving her a kiss. “Feeling better, darlin?”

She nodded, “Everything seems to be all healed up except my leg. But Vasha just worked on that so it’s better than it had been.” 

“Happy to hear that. Sad to say, I will be gone a few days. Katshiro reinstated us, so I have to go earn my paycheck.”

“Good to hear we’re reinstated. Wish you didn’t have to go though,” she sighed.

“Same here, darlin. But me and Ryu will be back before you know it.”

“You better be.” She answered. 

He chuckled and saluted. “Yes ma’am.” He kissed her again, then headed out the door.

Andy looked over to check on Kiba for a moment before glancing back at her book.

“Owwww. Andy, you okay?” He sat up, holding his head.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright,” she said softly before saying a spell for his pain.

“Sorry for being dumb. Again.”

“You’re alright. I love you.”

“Love you more.”

She gave him a small smile in response.

Tsukasa entered, his face grave. “We need to figure out something.”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“With the Council gone, law and order within the communities has all but disappeared. No one believes there will be any repercussions because there is no ruling body anymore.”

“I was hoping we wouldn’t need one.. But why don’t we set up a new Council? I mean, I  _ did _ destroy the last one.. I should do something about the issues that arise.”

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “You up for that?”

Andy shrugged, “Gotta do what we gotta do, right?”

“Alright. 6 Council members and revamp the corrupt policing force they used.”

“Why don’t we use some of the squad? I mean, we know they’re peaceful, but they can double as a policing force if need be.”

“Sounds good. I’ll run through a short list by you later.” The dragon turned and left.

Days passed and Tsukasa sent her a list of possible Council and police members.

Andy went over it, picking out who she thought was best and then gathered them together in a meeting. She sat at the front of the room, making notes in a notebook as she waited for them to arrive.

Leo and Jade arrived first, Hitoshi and Hideo coming in with the phoenixes soon after.

“What’s up boss lady?” Jade grinned.

“Well, let’s start with this. Did you guys hear I murdered the Council and now there’s unrest in the communities?”

Leo nodded. “It’s not good.”

“Right. So since I caused the problem, I’m trying to find a way to fix it. I’m thinking about setting up a new Council. What would you guys think about being part of it?”

“Us?” Jade exchanged looks with the others. “We’re not really the type to lord it over others. Except maybe Leo here…” He nudged his partner with a sly grin.

Leo glared at the blond as the others laughed.

“Tsukasa and I went over everyone and thought you’d be best. But I’m not forcing you into a job you don’t want,” Andy smiled softly.

Jade thought for a moment, then shrugged. “I’ll give anything a try once. Except Vasha’s drink.”

“I accept.” Leo gave Andy a smile.

The others nodded. “We’re in.”

Andy grinned, “Alright. Well, I’m not actually part of the Council, so you’re free to make decisions without me. But I did write down some stuff I thought would be helpful or good ideas.” She slid the notebook across the table to them. “And you know I’ll always give my help or opinions if you need them.”

“We’re gonna need them.” Jade joked as he and the others read through the notebook.

“These are good. You sure you don’t want to be head member?” Leo asked.

“As much as I  _ should _ be part and would actually enjoy it, a lot of people have issues with me. I don’t want those to carry over to the whole Council, you know?”

Leo nodded. After a minute, he looked at the other men. “Better go see Boss.” 

They filed out quietly as Kiba entered, a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“They’re overdue.”

“Who? Tet and Ryu?”

He nodded. “Only by a day or so. But still worrisome given the circumstances.”

Andy nodded, pushing herself up. She winced slightly as she stood, her leg still a bit sore. She closed her eyes and focused on Tet before saying the teleportation spell. She frowned when she realized nothing happened. She did the same for Ryusei, again with the same results. She teleported herself home and then focused on Kiba, teleporting back to him. “Something is wrong. Even if they were dead, I should be able to teleport to them. It’s like something is blocking the teleport...”

“Fucking hell. What are we supposed to do now?”

“Tell Tsukasa and start a search, I guess..” she frowned, wondering what kind of trouble Tet had gotten into.

The wolf nodded and left the room.

Andy sat back down, trying to not worry too much.

  
  


**_One year later_ **

Andy was organizing the infirmary supplies, making a list of what they needed. 

A sudden gust of air behind blew her hair gently.

She turned, freezing when she noticed who was standing there.

Tet and Ryusei, their eyes blank, reached out and grabbed her.

“Tet? Ryusei? Where have you been?!” She asked quickly. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you...” She noticed the blankness in their eyes and paused. “Are you guys even with me?” She tried to pull away from them but they grabbed tighter. 

Ryusei murmured the teleport spell and the three vanished.

Andy struggled to get away from them, starting to say spells to try to break any control they could be under.

“You should give up, Dr. Takimoto. Your spells will do no good.” A voice spoke from the shadows of the room they appeared in.

Tet and Ryusei released her, stepping away and kneeling on the floor.

“What do you want with me?”

“Your cooperation, for now.”

“Cooperation? Who are you?”

“Unimportant right now. Just know that I have your life, and the lives of your friends in my grasp. As for your first question, you are the new doctor for my assassins. Do your job and I won’t kill your team.”

She nodded slowly before focusing her thoughts, “ _ Kiba?” _

No answer.

She took a deep breath, glancing back at the kneeling Tet and Ryusei. 

“You are cut off. This location is entirely psychic proof. No telepathy, no telekinesis, no teleportation. Unless you undergo surgery and take my chip.”

She nodded again, staying quiet.

“We’ll do it tomorrow. Today, you will heal those two.” The voice disappeared.

Andy sighed, staring at Tet and Ryusei and beginning to feel hopeless about the situation.

Neither man gave any indication of seeing her, staying in a kneeling position even when blood began to spread under them. 

She started healing them, reciting spells to close up the wounds. When she was done, she sat on the floor where it was clean, continuing to stare at them.

Ryusei’s eyes cleared a little and he cocked his head at her in confusion.

She raised an eyebrow, wondering if he actually knew what was going on.

A moment later, he resumed staring straight ahead.

She sat there quietly, eventually dozing off.

Hours later, both men rose and pulled her to her feet. They marched her out of the room and down a hall to a surgical room.

She looked around, only slightly struggling to get free from their grip.

“Put her on the table and restrain her.” A tall man glided out of an adjoining room, a small plastic container in his hand.

Tet and Ryusei followed instructions, then stood back.

“Sorry I can’t put you to sleep for this.” The man gave her an insincere smile as he raised his other hand.

Andy sighed, mentally preparing herself for whatever was about to happen.

He pointed his finger, using it as a scalpel to cut into her skull. He exposed her brain, then paused to open the plastic container. He withdrew a small chip.

She wondered what all the chip would do, and prayed that somehow the others would find them.

“I really must thank you for taking down both Branch and the Testing Bureau. I was a prisoner of them both for years. Now I’m free.” He grinned at her, then drove the chip into her brain.

Andy winced before wondering how many other bad people she freed.

The man closed her head up, then produced a remote. “Say goodbye to your old life.” He pressed a button and waited.

Andy raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering what was supposed to be happening.

He stared at her, repeatedly pressing the button. “Why is it not working?”

Ryusei locked eyes on Andy, that questioning look appearing again.

The man finally snarled, tossing the remote away. “Guess I’ll have to go to plan B.” He started to cut into her head again, but shrieked in pain and suddenly stumbled away from the table. He pressed a hand to his side, blood beginning to stain his shirt.

Ryusei wordlessly cut Andy free, then fell backwards as the man backhanded him.

“You  _ dare _ defy me?!” The man towered over the young man, his finger beginning to cut into Ryusei’s chest. “I don’t really need you.”

Andy said a spell quickly, dropping the man to the ground before moving to Ryusei and healing him up. 

She then grabbed onto him and Tet, teleporting them out and back to the base’s infirmary.

Ryusei looked at her, muttering her name slowly before passing out. Tet stood unmoving, eyes locked on the far wall.

Andy placed Ryusei on a bed before injecting Tet with a sedative. She then moved him to a bed and began working on removing the chips from both of them.

Akasa entered at a run, his eyes frantic. Kei and Jun were with him, eyes wide as they took in the scene.

“Andy, what the hell is going on?”

“Tet and Ryusei kidnapped me... They tried to brainwash me too but it didn’t work... Now hopefully they’ll be okay with the chips removed.” Andy dropped a chip on a table before closing Tet’s head back up.

“Brainwash you?” Akasa shook his head. “Start from the beginning.”

“I was here. Tet and Ryu came and kidnapped me. I don’t know who they were working for but they wanted me to heal assassins? And then they put a chip in my head to brainwash me like the others but it didn’t work for some reason? And then Ryu broke through the control enough to free me and stab the guy. So I killed him and then brought these two back here. And now their chips are gone so hopefully they’ll be back to normal..”

Tsukasa had entered while she was speaking, his face going white as she finished. “They’re the ones doing the killings…”

“From the sounds of it, the guy has more assassins? I don’t know who he was though.”

Tsukasa winced. “Let me know the result when they wake. I’ll be in the office.” He turned and left as Akasa went to Andy’s side.

“Are you alright?”

“I mean, I  _ do _ have a chip in my brain still but it’s apparently useless? And I  _ was _ kidnapped.. But I’m fine. Normal day in life, right?”

“You should get it removed just to be safe.” The nurse glanced at both formerly missing men. “I hope they’ll be alright, for your sake.”

Andy nodded slowly, moving to sit down.

“Why don’t I remove it, then you can watch them?” Akasa gently grabbed her arm and led her to a bed. 

Andy laid down, closing her eyes.

The nurse quickly operated, thankful for healing spells as he slowly removed the chip. “Wonder why it didn’t work?”

Jun and Kei shared a smile. “She’s too strong to be brainwashed by some chip.”

Akasa chuckled, cleaning Andy’s face. “Yeah. I’m done, Andy.” He moved to monitor the men’s vitals.

Andy opened her eyes and sat up, looking over at them quietly.

“They’re both stable. I don’t foresee any complications. The real test is when they regain consciousness.” Akasa sighed.

“If they got chipped a year ago, whatever happened might be unfixable.” Jun said slowly as he gave Andy an apologetic look.

Andy stayed quiet, getting up and moving to sit next to them. 

Akasa ushered the other witches out. “Let’s get some coffee.”

“Andy..” Ryusei’s voice was soft and hesitant.

“Hey,” she said gently. 

“You should have left us..too dangerous..” His eyes were sad.

She shook her head, “The chips are removed now, so hopefully everything will be alright.”

“Everything’s so confused..I don’t remember much. Did I do something bad?”

“I don’t know what you did, honestly. You two were gone for a year,” she admitted. “But  _ if  _ you did anything, it wasn’t your fault, it was the person controlling you.”

He nodded quietly before he sat up and slid off the bed. “I’m alright.”

“Are you sure? It’s alright if you aren’t.”

He gave her a small smile. “I’ll be in my room.” He vanished as Tet groaned.

Andy stood and went to his side.

His eyes flew open, darting around until they landed on her. “Darlin? How?” He shuddered as the man’s eyes intruded into his vision. “Keep him away from me….”

“Hey, you’ve been gone for a year.. We removed the chip that was controlling you and he’s gone now. He can’t do anything to you again.”

“A..year?” His eyes were terrified. “Ryusei! Where is he? Is he alright? I heard him screaming….”

“He’s alright for now. He headed to his room.”

Tet nodded, then rubbed his head with one hand. “I’m sorry, darlin. Are you alright?”

She nodded slowly in response. “I missed you..”

He reached for her, his hands trembling. “I missed you so much..”

_ “Kiba? He’s back.. We’re in the infirmary,”  _ Andy focused on her other love for a moment before looking back at Tet. “It was so hard.. I was beginning to lose hope of finding you..”

His eyes filled with tears. “I was positive I would never get back. I was praying to die quick. Guess I didn’t, huh?”

He recoiled as he heard a voice in his head. ‘Your first assignment. I want this community wiped off the map.’ He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head rapidly. “No...no..I won’t listen!”

“Tet?” she asked softly. “Are you alright?”

“I’m..a monster..Kill me.”

“Whatever happened wasn’t your fault,” she said assuringly. “I love you, okay?”

Kiba came racing in, immediately engulfing Tet in a tight hug. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, you overgrown rug..”

Tet flinched, tears streaking his cheeks.

Kiba drew back, his eyes going to Andy. “Hey, you okay?”

She nodded, keeping her eyes on Tet. 

Kiba turned his attention back to the tiger, who had pulled away. “What’s wrong?”

Tet shook his head. “Should have left me..I’m a monster..I need to get out of here before I hurt someone..”

“ _ Nothing _ you did was your fault. It was the people controlling you. We trust you, okay?”

“Stop it! I  _ am _ to blame! He didn’t do those things..I DID! “ He vanished out of Kiba’s arms, leaving the wolf in shock.

“Tet..dammit, I want the asshole..” Kiba almost snarled the words as he dropped his arms.

Andy sighed, “Where do you think he went?”

“The forest possibly.” Kiba sat down as Andy’s radio buzzed on her desk.

She went to it, “What’s going on?”

“They awake yet? Boss needs you.” Daiki’s voice was quiet.

“Ryusei went to his room and Tet disappeared... but sure, I’ll be there in a minute.” She shook her head and looked at Kiba, “Try to find Tet and keep me updated, Tsukasa needs me apparently. I’ll join you when I’m done with him.”

Kiba gave her cheek a kiss. “Leave rug to me. Go take care of Boss before he has a coronary.”

Andy nodded and headed off to Tsukasa’s office.

The door was opened by the vampire, his eyes worried. “He hasn’t said a word since he returned. Just keeps looking at the photos..”

Andy entered and sat down before asking, “So what’s going on?”

Tsukasa didn’t answer, pushing a stack of photos toward her.

Charred bodies, destroyed buildings met her eyes. Photo after photo, the locations changed, but the destruction didn’t.

“A year’s worth.” Tsukasa’s voice was dejected.

Andy shook her head, “No wonder they are freaked. But it wasn’t like they were in control..”

“The community survivors don’t care at the moment. They want revenge.”

“We can’t just hand them over to them. Can’t we explain the situation and explain the guy in charge is gone?”

“I can try. At least the new Council has experience with this sort of thing.” He gave her a small smile before wincing.

“You okay?”

“Chest hurts. It’ll go away.” The dragon sighed. “You said Tet ran off?”

“Yeah. Kiba is looking for him now. I was planning to join him when I’m done here.” She frowned, “And if your chest doesn’t stop hurting, let me know. It could be something serious.”

He nodded slowly. “Go find him before someone else does.”

Andy stood and headed outside, going to the forest. She began looking around for Tet or Kiba. 

Kiba appeared beside her, a frown on his face. “He’s become too good at hiding.”

“Did you try teleporting at all?” Andy looked thoughtful. “And you did check the cliff, right?”

“Not as skilled as you are at that. I did check the cliff.” Kiba ruffled his hair. “How bad is it?”

“They had to do a lot of bad things... And the people who survived are after them,” Andy admitted. “I just wish they’d all see it’s not their fault, they weren’t in control.”

“You and I both know it’s not that easy. Knowing your body did things is guilt inducing. Plus they did  _ just _ get rescued. They both must be disoriented as hell.”

Andy nodded, “I know..”

She was about to touch his shoulder to teleport them but felt hands grabbing onto her. She turned quickly, not seeing anyone. She struggled against the grip, “Kiba...Help? Am I crazy?” She was yanked to the ground roughly, looking up at him with a worried expression before the hands grabbed her again and they vanished. 


	73. Chapter 73

She found herself in a cell. The person who grabbed her became visible, a tall man with a sinister smile. 

“Who are you?” She tried to pull away.

  
“A friend of someone you killed,” was the only answer she got before he vanished again, leaving her alone in the cell.

She focused on Kiba and Tet, trying to path to them. She received no response. She then attempted to teleport, once again, nothing happening. She sat there for hours upon hours until the man finally returned. He had a wide smirk and carried a large bag. A woman entered after him, standing near the wall quietly. 

Over the next week, she slowly lost her voice due to all the screams she produced. The man tortured her in multiple ways, stabbings, bone breaking, electric shocks, and more, then the woman would come heal her just enough to make sure she wouldn’t die.

She was left alone for hours on end until they’d return for more fun. She began to lose track of the days, praying the others were searching for her. 

One day, the man entered with a grin, pictures in his hands. He threw them into the cell for her to look at. She glanced at them, noticing pictures of her friends, pale and blood covered.

  
“Your team is gone. They’ve been wiped out along with the base. No one will ever come to rescue you.” 

She stayed quiet, staring at the pictures with tears in her eyes. If she could just get free, she could save them... but she was stuck.

The man left laughing. 

Andy lost track of when she saw him again, feeling like whole days or weeks passed before he appeared. The woman arrived randomly to bring her food. Andy wondered how long she’d survive. She was rapidly losing weight, beginning to resemble a skeleton. She wasn’t sure she cared though, if her team was gone. Unless they took out Arie and Vasha too, there were still one or two people who were out there, but she also knew Arie didn’t have the capabilites to search for someone like the squad did. She hoped Arie would be happy, teaching new students and taking care of the bookstore with Vasha. 

Andy began skipping eating, hoping to speed up her death. After a while, food was forced into her and IV’s were set up to keep her alive. 

Andy ripped out the IV’s whenever she had the chance.

She was sure it’d been at least weeks if not longer since the man had been there last. He finally arrived, a rainbow assortment of syringes on a tray. 

Andy’s voice was rough and she barely recognized it when she spoke, “You’ve not been coming as much. If you’re tired of me, why keep me alive?”

“Oh, I’ll never grow sick of you. I’ve just been preoccupied with other business,” he smiled before approaching her and beginning to inject a few of the drugs.

Overwhelming pain left Andy writhing on the ground as he laughed maniacally. She soon passed out but was brought back to consciousness with another injection. “Can’t sleep just yet.”

He injected her with more and laughed again as she struggled with the effects. She struggled to breathe as she reached for one of the empty syringes. She filled it with air before injecting it, praying the air entering her blood stream would cause an air embolism. 

The man frowned and jerked the syringe away before having the woman enter and work on keeping her alive. 

When Andy woke again, she curled up against the wall, staring at her bony hands. Her arms had become so small they looked like small twigs that could easily be snapped. She wrapped them around herself, closing her eyes and praying the end was near.

An explosion rocked the cell, then the door was flung open.

“Dear child, what have they done to you?” Vasha wrapped his arms around her skeletal frame, picking her up and making his way back to the assault team.

“Oh my god...is that you, Andy?” Ryon’s voice was low and horrified.

“Talk later. Get her back so Akasa can help her.” Leo’s voice ordered.

She felt the air whip past her, then the softness of a mattress.

“Is it finally my time or have I gone delusional...?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she winced against the brightness of the lights.

They dimmed, Akasa’s face appearing above her. “I mean with these insane team, delusions _ are  _ a definite possibility, but to answer your question, neither applies today.” He gently inserted an IV and gave her a soft smile.

“But.. you guys are dead...” she answered quietly, her eyes trained on the floor. 

His voice was hesitant. “Not all of us. It took way too long to find you. But when we did, we came immediately.”

“I saw pictures.. and the base was wiped out...” she shook her head. “If you’re not here because I’m dead, you’re here from a drug reaction or something. You can’t be real..”

Akasa winced. “Andy, I’m not going to lie. The base  _ was _ attacked, some of those pictures were real. But I’m not a ghost or a hallucination. We’re both very much alive and I intend to keep you that way. Unless you want to fight me?”

She searched his face quietly for a few moments before shaking her head, “Still not sure about all of this, but I guess anything you can do is better than more time with them..”

Akasa gave her a lopsided grin. “Good girl.” He wrapped a blanket around her before injecting something into the IV. “Get some sleep.”

Andy struggled to keep her eyes open, afraid to lose Akasa and the infirmary. She doubted they’d be there when she woke again, but eventually she lost the fight and fell asleep.

Akasa sighed, seating himself beside her and taking her limp hand. “We’re not leaving.” He said softly.

She woke slowly, remembering the events of the day before. She opened her eyes, shock on her face when she wasn’t in the cell.

Akasa gave a small chuckle. “Told you. How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, looking around slowly. “Still confused, honestly.”

“Be surprised if you weren’t.” The nurse sighed. “Whoever took you did attack us later. We sustained heavy casualties, but we  _ weren’t _ wiped out. Vasha finally got a lock on your location with the help of a friend and a team was sent after you.”

She nodded a moment, “So people did die? And I’d hope you kept them in the freezer? So  _ if  _ this is real, I should be helping instead of sitting here, right?”

Akasa’s face fell. “Andy, it’s been two years..”

“So you didn’t keep them..?” She looked down.

He grimaced. “We should talk about this later.”

She stayed quiet, staring at the blanket numbly.

Akasa rose as the door opened, Vasha and Ryon entering. They stood in a group, speaking quietly. Vasha moved to her side.

“Glad to see you awake, child.” He gave her a soft smile.

She glanced up, studying him quietly for a few minutes before nodding.

The smile disappeared, his eyes going sad before he embraced her. “I must apologize for my lack of ability.”

She frowned, “I’m sure you did your best.”

He shook his head. “I should have found you sooner. I was unable to save..” Tears streaked his face as he drew away from her. “I am ashamed.”

She stared at him quietly, unsure what to say. Finally, she whispered, “It’s not your fault, things just happen.”

He took a shaky breath, then forced a smile. “I am happy you are alive.”

Ryon sat down beside her, his hand wrapping around hers. “So am I.”

“You definitely feel real..” she said quietly.

“We’re real, believe me.” He gave her a small smile. “Hopefully, you’ll be able to take over soon.”

She nodded slowly, feeling a little confused.

“Ryon’s in charge of the asylum right now.” Akasa chuckled.

“Now I know why Boss had a perpetual ulcer.” Ryon scowled.

Andy looked at the blanket again, not wanting to meet their eyes, “Who is still here?”

“Kei, Hiroki, Rhona and Touma, Yoshi, the Council boys. Jack and Zal are out with Shouma and Kai right now.” Ryon ran a hand through his hair. “Kiba’s alive, but not here.”

Andy nodded, still staring numbly at the blanket.

“We should go.” Ryon squeezed her hand gently before standing. “Don’t feel you have to rush. Get better normally, alright?”

“Arie’s still safe too, right?”

He nodded. “She took a leave of absence and is at your place.”

“Okay.”

“You want to call her?”

“Maybe later,” she weakly looked back up at him.

“Get some rest. If you need anything, just let us know.” Ryon and Vasha left the infirmary.

Akasa sat down in the open seat. “I’m sorry, Andy.”

She shook her head, wondering if being rescued really was better than death, if most of her friends were gone.

Akasa’s voice was quiet. “If you could bring them back, would you?”

“They deserve to have long, happy lives. Though, I just keep bringing them back for them to be killed again..” she sighed.

“At least Boss went normally.” Akasa sighed.

“Probably all the stress gave him a heart attack.”

“You are a mind reader, aren’t you?”

She gave a small smile, “I don’t know if I can do this,” she admitted. “You say I’ve been gone two years..”

Akasa gave her a sad look. “Maybe it would be easier to go home. See Arie? Put your life back together.” He looked down at the floor. “I can tell Rhona to put you on the visitor’s list for Kiba. You can take the supplements I give you, but don’t have to be here. And you don’t have to bring them back..it was just a question.” He stood and moved to the desk, jotting a list down on the pad.

“I mean.. I’m not sure I can do  _ any _ of this. Getting my life back together? What does that even mean when half the people I care about are gone and all I’ve known for years is pain?”

He stopped, turning to look at her. “Are you giving up then? Are you asking for the room beside Kiba?”

She raised an eyebrow, “Where is he anyway?”

“Rhona’s hospital. He..he broke after the attack.”

Andy nodded, “I don’t know. I gave up a long time ago.. I don’t know how to come back from that.”

“How many times did it seem like rescue wasn’t coming with Branch? With the Bureau? But you never gave up. You had plans to get free yourself. You didn’t let those bastards win, even with everything they did to you. Why let these assholes? I want,no-I  _ need _ my friend back.”

“Why did you guys not give up on finding me?” She said after a few moments of silence.

“I asked them the same thing every week.” Rhona entered, her eyes gentle. “Want to hear what they said?”

Andy raised an eyebrow.

“You were alive. And they refused to let you down. Tet said..” She broke off, her lips tightening.

“What ever happened to Tet? I was looking for him with Kiba when I got taken..” she looked down again.

“He was killed in the attack.” Akasa answered quietly.

“He said, even if you were dead, he was going to bring you home just like you did him. He said he would never give up looking for his heart.” Rhona took a deep breath. “Are you going to let him beat you?”

Andy started crying, tears streaking her face before she began sobbing. She mumbled incoherently, the only words that made it out were, “It’s been so hard..”

Rhona moved to her side, wrapping her arms around the necromancer. “I’m sure it was. But you’re home now and those people can’t ever hurt you again. We’re all here for you. Whatever you decide, we’ll support you. You’re not alone.”

Andy nodded, wiping her eyes. She then glanced at Alasa, “I think I’d bring them back if I could. Theoretically, I  _ can _ bring anyone back by conjuring up a ghost and creating a new body, but I don’t know if that’d be pushing it too far.”

“What does your heart say?” Rhona looked at her. “The attack was only six months ago. I doubt there’s been too much decay..”

She took a deep breath, “It’s my job to keep the team alive, right?” 

Akasa shared a grin with Rhona. “That’s what Boss hired you for.”

Andy nodded, “Alright then, let’s get to work.”

“I should have asked if you were strong enough..” Akasa frowned.

“Has that ever stopped me before?”

“You were never..like this before.” The nurse grimaced.

She looked down at her hands for a moment before sighing, “Let’s try it anyway. Worst that’ll happen is it doesn’t work, right?”

“It could kill you.”

Andy shrugged and pushed herself off the bed. 

“ _ That’s _ the Andy I know.” The nurse rolled a wheelchair up to her. “Sit.”

She did as instructed, taking a deep breath.

He rolled her outside, into the forest. After several minutes, he stopped in front of a small cemetery. “We figured we had already buried Shouma once out here, it would be a good spot.”

Andy closed her eyes for a moment before holding her hand out. When she opened her eyes, the dirt moved as a giant block, lifting up before falling to the ground several feet away. She focused and did the same with the coffin lids, then looked down into the hole at the bodies. “Do .you want me to just try now or should we take them inside first?”

“I’ll get some help. It’ll be easier inside.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled at her.

Several of the team appeared, soft smiles on their faces at the sight of Andy. “What do you need, boss lady?” Kei asked.

She glanced up at him, “I’m going to try reviving them, so can you take them inside? If it does work, it’s better they not wake up in coffins..”

The men nodded, gently retrieving the bodies and carrying them into the infirmary.

After being pushed back into the infirmary, Andy stood, checking everyone over. When she made sure they were alright physically, she sat back down and focused her energy into them all. 

It took a few minutes, but soon they all sucked in breaths. 

Tet’s eyes fluttered open, his eyes filling with tears as he saw Andy.

She gave him a weak smile.

He tried to push himself up, but his body was too weak. “You’re real, right?”

“As long as you’re real.”

“Last I checked.” He began to sag onto the mattress.

“Just rest, okay?” she said softly. She tiredly looked up at Akasa, “Can I see Kiba? Or are you making me sleep first?”

“You should sleep for a little while. I’ll take you to see him after that.” Rhona said gently.

Andy sighed, climbing into a bed and quickly falling asleep.

Akasa gave a small smile as he surveyed the full infirmary. “Now I feel normal.”

Hours later, Andy started mumbling in her sleep, thrashing about in the bed.

Tet scrambled out of bed and rushed to her side. “Hush, darlin. You’re safe. I’m right here.”

Her eyes shot open, panic evident until she focused on him and began to calm. When she got her breathing under control, she whispered, “Sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” He held her close, one hand running through her hair softly.

“Are you sure this is real?” she was quiet, looking just slightly lost.

“Yeah, this is real. You have no idea how much I dreamt of this. Well, not this..” He chuckled. “But you know what I mean.”

Andy gave a small smile, “Yeah. I missed you.”

He gently bent his head and kissed her deeply.

When he pulled away, she sighed, “We should go see Kiba..”

“Where _ is  _ furball? I expected him to be glued to your side.”

“Apparently losing all you guys broke him. He’s at Rhona’s hospital. I haven’t had a chance to see him yet.”

Tet stiffened. “Fuck..”

She nodded, “Rhona said she’d take me there when I woke up.”

As if on cue, the psychiatrist entered. “You two up for this?” 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Andy answered.

Tet nodded in agreement.

Rhona led them out to her car, waiting till they got settled to start toward the hospital.

“How bad is he?” Tet took a deep breath as he waited for an answer.

“He’s not catatonic anymore. But he isn’t really here either. He spends most of his days talking to you two, along with Tsukasa.”

Tet grimaced, looking at Andy. “Boss died a few days before the attack. Had a heart attack which Akasa couldn’t fix. Kiba was there and became hysterical.”

Andy nodded, “I’m sorry I couldn’t have been there to fix everything..”

“What did I tell you about apologizing? Anyway, he went nuts during the attack. I took bullets meant for him because he wasn’t paying attention. The last thing I remember was him holding me..”

Rhona nodded. “After we did cleanup, I tried to talk to him but he was completely locked into whatever was in his head. I brought him here.” She smoothly parked, then looked at them. “I hope seeing you will bring him back.”

“I hope so too..” Andy said quietly. “All the days I spent thinking about you guys, I never expected all this..”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Rhona got out of the car, waiting for them before leading the way into the hospital. She stopped in her office, depositing a set of keys into her coat before greeting her aide. “How’s he been?”

“What the hell happened yesterday? He stopped talking to the hallucinations and started laughing instead. Had to sedate him.”

Andy sighed, glancing at Tet worriedly.

Rhona frowned, then headed for Kiba’s room.

They could hear him before they got there.

“I knew it! Nobody can stop her!” Uproarious laughter followed.

Andy raised an eyebrow and looked at Rhona, “Can we go in, or should we wait?” 

“I think this is good. Let him see you.” She unlocked the door. “Kiba, you have visitors.”

Andy entered slowly, “Kiba?”

He stood, quickly kneeling. “My queen has returned.”

She gave a small chuckle, “I missed you.”

He raised his eyes. “As have I, Gansial.” He glimpsed Tet behind her and smiled. “Martinous. You look well.”

Andy glanced at Tet, mouthing, “We might have a problem..?”

Tet came in, touching Kiba’s shoulder. “Hey, furball. It’s Andy, not Gansial. I’m Tet, not Martinous.”

The response was frightening. Kiba recoiled, moving backward until his back hit the wall. He curled up into a ball as he slid down. His hands were frantically rubbing back and forth as if he were trying to clean them. 

“So much blood...have to get clean...she’s gone and he’s…” Kiba’s eyes were panicked.

Andy went and knelt in front of him, “Kiba, I was rescued and I brought them all back. The whole team is alive now..” She spoke softly, trying to not frighten him further. 

His eyes locked on hers, his voice lost. “Everyone’s dead...and I couldn’t save you..”

“They aren’t dead now. And I was saved,” she answered. 

“You’re trying to trick me!” He tried to push her away as his voice broke and tears streamed down his face.

Tears filled her eyes. “I know what it’s like to feel like things aren’t real.. But I’d never try to trick you.” She sighed, “I don’t know how to prove it though. We’re real. We’re here. I literally just got rescued yesterday. I’ve been gone for two years, Kiba. I  _ need _ you.” She gave a sad chuckle, “I know I’m normally pretty skinny, but would you ever actually imagine me being  _ this  _ skinny? And if I was just a hallucination, would I be here crying with you?” She wiped at her eyes and held her arms open, “I don’t know if it’d help you, but I’d really like it if you’d let me have a hug.”

He blinked, his eyes staring at her. “A..Andy?” His voice shook as he desperately searched her face.

“Yeah, Kiba. I’m here and I’m real.”

He embraced her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder.

Tet embraced them both, his eyes wet.

She held Kiba close, “I missed you guys so much..”

“I’m sorry I didn’t stop you from being taken. It happened so fast and I couldn’t see anyone…”

“It’s alright. I don’t blame you at all.”

Kiba looked at Tet, his face agonized. “You died because of me…” Tears began streaking his cheeks again.

Tet grabbed his chin. “And I would do it again. Don’t you dare blame yourself. I knew what I was doing, okay?”

The wolf nodded slowly, hands still tangled in Andy’s shirt. He suddenly tensed and looked at her. “Saka..?”

“I don’t know if he’s awake, but I did revive him as well.”

A strangled sob escaped and then he was crying again.

Andy held him tightly, “Let it all out.”

After several minutes, he sagged against her.

“Why don’t you rest some, then we can take you home?” she said quietly. She struggled to move him, realizing just how weak she’d gotten during the last couple years.

Tet gently took him from her, laying him on the cot.

Kiba whispered “Home..” before his eyes closed.

Rhona ushered them out, leaving the door ajar. “Why don’t we go to my office?”

Andy nodded, following her.

“Want to fill me in? He’s never mentioned either of those names before.” She sat down at her desk and looked at Andy.

“I’m honestly surprised he remembered them,” Andy said quietly before asking, “Do you know what reincarnation is?”

“I’ve heard of it. Don’t know if I believe it.”

“The three of us are reincarnated. Those were our past names.”

The psychiatrist looked thoughtful. “Why do you think it surfaced now?”

Andy shook her head, “Maybe because we were reunited after a long time? Or he wanted it to be back to better times when we didn’t have as many problems?”

“Do you think he’s stable enough to leave?”

“Let’s see how he is when he’s awake again, but I’d say so.”

Rhona nodded as Tet’s cell rang.

“What’s up?” The tiger listened for a minute, then scowled. “Drag his ass out of the bunker. Akasa can fix him up. We’ll be back soon.” He hung up, muttering “some things never change.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ryu.”

“Is he okay?”

“Akasa will take care of him. Let’s deal with Kiba right now.”

She nodded, blinking slowly and tiredly. “Well, other than waiting on him, is there anything else we can do for him?”

“Just be there. He may flashback and you’ll have to gently convince him everything is alright. You look drained. Perhaps I should bring him back later?”

Andy gave a small smile, “I don’t think I’ve stayed awake this long in at least a few months.”

“I’m taking you home, darlin.” Tet picked her up and nodded to Rhona before muttering the teleport spell. 

They materialized in their room and Tet laid her gently on the bed. “Sleep, darlin.”

Andy nodded, eyes closing before her head even hit the pillow.

Tet sighed, then left the room.

Andy woke hours later and climbed out of bed. She stretched, looking at herself in the mirror. Her normally decent fitting clothes were baggy on her. She tried finding something a little less loose to wear before heading out into the hallway. 

Yuki was leaning against the wall, sipping a blood bag. “Hello stranger.” He extended another bag toward her.

She took it and started slowly sipping it. “How are you doing?”

“I’m alright. Hiro is confused as hell though. Ryon made him a brain salad so he’s content for now.”

Andy gave a small chuckle. She glanced down at the bag and noticed she barely put a dent in it. She tried to keep drinking, making the part of her that craved blood happy, not having had any in so long. 

“You okay?” His eyes narrowed in worry.

She nodded, “Just getting full. Small stomach, I guess.”

He didn’t look convinced, but stayed silent. A moment later, he slapped his head. “Almost forgot. Boss wants you in his office.”

Andy nodded, “Here,” she handed the not even half empty bag over to him. “You can finish it or something.” She then headed to the office and knocked on the door.

Daiki opened it with a smile. “He’s grumbling about the paperwork already.”

Andy gave a small chuckle before entering. 

“Have you ever tried to convince your superiors you aren’t dead anymore? You’d think after everything, Katshiro would have some kind of system to wait on proclamations involving us.” Smoke lazily billowed around the annoyed dragon’s head.

Andy gave another small chuckle but then stayed quiet.

He looked at her with a soft smile. “I am so damn glad we found you. It wasn’t the same around here. I’m only sorry it took so long. Forgive us?”

“I don’t blame you guys at all. I’m actually still a bit surprised you guys were still looking after that long..”

“You think we’d  _ ever  _ stop? You really don’t realize your worth, do you? I’m surprised you brought  _ me _ back.”

Andy sighed before giving a small smirk, “And let you have a rest from all the paperwork?”

Tsukasa glared at her. “Very funny. Scoot before I make you fill this stuff out.”

Andy chuckled once more before leaving the office. 

Tet gave her a smile as he appeared. “Lunch?”  
  
“I just had some blood before seeing Tsukasa..”

“No problem. Keep me company?”

She nodded and followed him. “How is everyone?”

“Mostly okay.” Tet began to fix a sandwich. “Rhona is bringing Kiba back in an hour. The others are being lazy like usual. Akasa is annoyed, so it seems everything’s back to normal.”

Andy nodded again slowly. “Normal isn’t a word I’d use around here.”

Tet let out a small laugh. “Probably not, but what other word should I use?” He sobered as Akasa entered with a scowl. “He still being a hassle?”

The nurse nodded. “Had to not only lock the cabinets, I had to lock up the crash cart  _ and _ sedate him to get him restrained for now. He’s pretty single minded right now. Maybe Rhona should take him for a few days.”

“Who? Ryu?” Andy asked. 

“Yeah. Kei caught him trying to OD in the bunker hours ago. When he woke after we pumped his stomach, he proceeded to attempt slitting his wrists and injecting an air bubble.”

“Air bubbles don’t always work...” Andy said quietly.

“Maybe not, but he sure was trying. Won’t say a damn word though.”

Andy nodded, “I’m not sure I’m the best one to talk to him right now, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good luck. He should be waking in a few minutes.” Akasa sat down with a cup of coffee and sighed.

Andy nodded, kissing Tet’s cheek before disappearing from the kitchen. She headed to the infirmary and sat beside Ryusei.

The porter stirred, blinking his eyes open. When they focused, he tried not to jump at the sight of Andy.

“Hey,” she said quietly.

“You brought me back. Why?”

“Because I care about you.” She sighed, “But I guess I can’t magically make everyone care about themselves. I can barely bring myself to do the same sometimes.” She shook her head, “Anyway, what’s up? Why so intent on dying?”

“No one told you…” He shook his head. “I killed all those people during that year. I can’t handle the guilt.”

“Oh still stuck on that, huh?” Andy said quietly. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling, but I don’t blame you for any of it. It might have been your body but you weren’t in control.” She gave a small smile, “You guys didn’t blame me when I was controlled and started shooting at you. So I wouldn’t blame you for what you did while controlled.”

He sighed, looking down at the restraints. “I just want to forget..”

“I’m sorry I don’t have a spell for that..” She frowned, “If I could take all your bad memories away, I would. But unfortunately, you need the bad ones to know the good ones are really good.” 

He chuckled slightly. “Let me out? I promise I won’t try anything.”

“It’d be pointless to try something if I could just bring you back,” she gave him a small smile before starting to undo the restraints. “And there’s few places you could run that I won’t be able to find you.”

He gave her a wry smile. “I guess not. We won’t talk about before you disappeared either.”

“Okay,” she nodded.

He looked up as Yamae came in. The other porter didn’t speak, just hit Ryusei in the jaw.

Ryusei tumbled to the floor, rubbing his face with a guilty look. “Sorry…”

Yamae shook his hand with a wince. “You should be, idiot.”

Ryusei sighed, then stood. “I promise to not let you see that again. Happy?”

Yamae scowled. “Not really. But it’ll do for now. Come on, let’s eat.”

The two of them exited the infirmary, leaving Andy alone.

Andy looked around the infirmary, noticing how it both felt familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She knew it like the back of her hand but she’d given up dreaming about coming back here. She never thought she’d be found. She headed into the office, finding her books on her desk just as they always had been. They were covered in dust, showing just how long she’d been gone. She sat in her chair, wrapping her arms around herself and losing herself in her thoughts.

Rhona entered with a smile. “Is the doctor in? Someone wants to see you.”

Andy nodded, standing up and giving Rhona a small smile.

She moved aside so Kiba could enter, the wolf running to embrace Andy.

“I thought you were a dream…” He clung to her in relief.

She held him tightly, “I’m pretty sure I’m real,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He sighed contentedly, then she heard his stomach rumble.

“Why don’t we head to the kitchen? I’ll make you some food.”

He chuckled as his face turned red, then he nodded. Kiba released her, then headed for the door as Rhona waited. 

When he had disappeared, the psychiatrist turned to her. “Can we talk?”

Andy nodded slowly.

“How are you doing?”

Andy was quiet for a moment, “Not sure. Everything feels so strange..”

“I can imagine. If you need to talk, you have my number. Here’s another question. Do I need to take our young porter with me? Has he spoken to you at all about what happened before you were taken?”

“No he hasn’t. I don’t want to push him, you know? I think he’s doing a little better though. I’m not sure he’d appreciate you taking him, anyway. And how would you plan to keep someone who can port?”

Rhona chuckled. “I’ve picked up some tricks. The reason I’m asking is this makes the second time he’s done this. And it’s the first time he didn’t succeed, simply because Kei found him. You can’t focus on yourself if you’re constantly dealing with him. I tried to get him to talk after you disappeared, after Jun brought him back, but it was like talking to a wall.” 

Andy nodded, “I’ll keep an eye on him and let you know.”

She nodded. “Alright. Well, I think we both have people to go dote on.”

Andy gave another small smile, “Yeah.” She headed out of the office, leaving the infirmary and going to the kitchen.

Kiba and Tet were happily munching on cookies as Ryon pulled more out of the oven.

Both of them grinned at her. “Hi.”

“Hey,” she smiled. “Having fun?”

“Now that you’re here.” Tet crossed to her side and kissed her cheek. “Furball still eats enough for eight of us.”

Andy chuckled and looked at Kiba, “Do you want me to make you some real food or are you going to eat all of Ryon’s cookies?”

“Real food please.” Ryon gave the wolf a glare. “I am not going to be tied to the oven all day.”

Andy smiled and headed to look in the fridge for ingredients. She began cooking, throwing things into a pot and adding spices.

Ryon gave a wave as he headed out the door.

Kiba kept staring at her, the cookie in his hand forgotten. His eyes were bright with tears and he swallowed hard.

Andy continued to stir the food, lost in her task. She finally took a small taste of the food to make sure it was done before bowling it up. She went and passed it to Kiba before looking at Tet, “You want some?”

“Absolutely.” He gently gave Kiba a one arm hug. “Hey, it’s okay.”

Andy finally looked at Kiba, “What’s wrong?”

“Please don’t wake me up. I want to stay like this.” His voice was soft and filled with longing.

“Well, luckily for you, this is real and not a dream,” she gave him a soft smile before handing Tet a bowl. She got herself a bowl with just a small scoop of the food and sat down to start picking at it.

“You’re not going to get back into shape eating that portion, darlin.” Tet gave her a concerned look.

She sighed, “Honestly, I still feel full from the blood I had earlier.”

Tet’s lips twisted, but he dropped the matter and began to eat.

Kiba ate slowly, his eyes far away. He tried to stretch the meal out as long as possible, convinced everything would vanish if he blinked.

Andy watched him, eating just as slow. She honestly began feeling sick but she knew Tet would argue if she didn’t finish her food. She finally finished, continuing to watch Kiba and wondering if he was feeling like her, like this wasn’t really here and happening.

Kiba stopped eating with a bite left to go. He stared at the bowl, dread filling him. He shook his head, muttering under his breath. His hand tightened around his spoon, the knuckles going white.

“Kiba? Are you okay?” She asked softly.

“I..I won’t finish. I won’t let this end.” His eyes rose to hers. “I can’t lose everyone again.”

Andy sighed, “I know how you feel.. but I think we’re all really here, at the base, with each other..” her eyes softened, “If this isn’t real, I don’t know why I’d imagine you being worried like this.. so it has to be real.” She looked at Tet, “Right?”

He gave them both a soft smile. “Yeah, this is real, darlin.”

Kiba shook his head, rapidly standing and backing away from the table. “No..no, this is another dream! They’re going to come in and take you away again with their shots.. I won’t let them! Why can’t they just leave me alone!” He bolted out the door, sobbing.

Andy put her head in her hands, “I know how he feels.. but I don’t know how to help..”

Tet wrapped his arms around her. “Just focus on you, darlin. I’ll deal with Kiba, okay?”

She nodded slowly, “Yeah. Go take care of him, I’ll be alright. Let me know if you need help.”

He kissed her before rising and leaving the kitchen.

Andy laid her head down on the table, feeling a bit useless. She tried to stay positive though and prayed Kiba would be alright. 

The door opened and she felt someone sit beside her. A hand gently massaged her neck silently.

She eventually looked up to see who it was.

Vasha gave her an amused look. “Harder to come home than to leave, no?”

She nodded, “Kiba’s struggling and I feel like I can’t help him. We’re both worried this is just a dream, but I’m trying to convince myself it’s real.. It’s just hard to feel hopeful after so long of not having any hope..”

The wizard nodded quietly. “Understandable. But this  **is** real, child. Everyone is here and worried about you. Let us help you. Take it one day at a time. I have some things to take care of, so you may not see me around. Just remember I care for you greatly. Do you still have the ring I gave you?”

She nodded, “Yeah, why?”

He gave her a smile. “Just checking, child. How is the reading coming along? Gansial had a love of words.”

“I haven’t really had a chance to read since getting back. I’ll start up again soon though.”

“There is no rush. Goodbye, child. Remember, one day at a time and don’t shut them out.” He kissed her forehead gently before vanishing.

She sighed, pushing herself up and heading out of the kitchen. She went to their room, climbing into bed and staring at the ceiling a while until she fell asleep. When she woke, she looked around and wondered if Tet had taken care of Kiba. She went into the hall to start her search.

Tet was coming out of the infirmary. “Hey darlin. You okay?”

“Probably.. Kiba?”

“Rhona sedated him. Do you think it was a mistake to bring him back here?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I wish I could magically make him alright..”

Tet sighed. “I know, darlin. You’re trying to rebound and we’re making it harder on you. I tried to stop Kenji, but was too late…”

“Kenji?”

“He went to see Arie. She’s begging to see you now. I told her it wasn’t a good idea and she bit my head off. Said I had my chance to keep you safe and didn’t.” He winced at the memory. “The worst thing is she’s absolutely right. She wants to take you away for awhile.”

Andy shook her head, unsure what to say. After a few moments she finally answered, “It’s not like it’s your fault any of this happened. I guess I’ll go visit her, but I need to be around to help Kiba..”

“Who’s going to help you?” He spoke softly, sadness coloring the words. “I don’t want to pressure you into staying if you need to go.”

“Do you want me to go with her..?”

“No, darlin. But this isn’t about me. It’s about what’s best for you right now. What do  _ you _ need?”

She shook her head again, “I don’t know.. Can’t I just move on and pretend nothing happened? Focus on caring for Kiba and anyone else who needs it..?”

“You and I both know that isn’t healthy. Pretty sure Rhona would say the same.”

Andy nodded, “Maybe I will go home for a couple days.. but.. I don’t want to leave Kiba when he’s like this..”

“Let us handle him. Focus on feeling better. Maybe even eat more than a starving church mouse.”

Andy sighed and looked down, “They barely fed me while I was there, and by the end, they had to force it into me just to keep me alive because I gave up and refused to eat. I swear I’m trying but I fill up so quickly now..”

“ _ That _ is exactly why you can’t ignore what happened, darlin. Go see Arie, take some time to regroup. Kiba will be fine. I’ll take care of him.”

Andy frowned but nodded, “Alright..”

He gave her a small smile, then kissed her. “Relax, darlin. It’ll be alright.”

She took a deep breath before reciting the teleportation spell, heading to her house to see her sister.

Andy was smothered in a hug as soon as she appeared. 

“I missed you so much,” Arie spoke softly.

“I missed you too.” She answered. “Guess I’m staying here for a couple days.”

“Good,” Arie smiled widely before letting go, “You’re a twig..”

“Happens,” Andy shrugged before sighing, “I heard you yelled at Tet.”

Arie rolled her eyes, “If you weren’t out looking for him, you wouldn’t have gotten taken. It’s  _ his  _ fault.”

Andy shook her head quickly, “Don’t you dare blame him. It could have happened no matter what I was doing.”

Arie took a deep breath, “Agree to disagree.”

“You yelled at one of my boyfriends! That’s not just something to ‘agree to disagree’ on.” Andy stormed off to her room, slamming the door.

A few hours later, Arie knocked gently, “Andy? I’m sorry.. I brought you some food.”

Andy got up, slowly opened the door, and looked at her twin. She let Arie enter, setting a tray on the bed. They sat in silence as Andy slowly picked at the food. She gave up not even halfway through it. 

Arie shook her head, “You need to eat more.”

“And make myself sick?”

“You’ll be fine,” Arie said. 

Andy took a few more bites before pushing the tray away. “I can’t.”

“Alright..” Arie said, obviously wanting to argue but trying to bite it back.

They spent the night watching movies before Andy went to sleep again. 

In the morning, Arie drove Andy to the store, buying her new clothes, “Hopefully you’ll fit into your old clothes soon, but this will work for a bit so you don’t look like you’re wearing a parachute as a shirt.”

Andy rolled her eyes but picked out a couple outfits that looked decent. When she went to try them on, Arie struggled not to gasp at just how bad Andy looked. She could clearly see her ribs and spine. 

Andy finished trying them on before they paid and left the store.

After getting home, Andy heard Arie yelling, “No, she needs to heal. She doesn’t need to be dealing with you guys and your problems.”

A few moments later, Arie growled, “No. She’s my only family left, I refuse to let her out of my sight until she’s better.”

Andy went out, angrily yanking the phone away from Arie, “It’s my  _ job _ to deal with them and their problems. And who says you have a right to who can talk to me? I don’t belong to you. Yes, I’m your sister and I care about you, but you can’t control me. I might have gone through a lot but I don’t need constant care and attention.” 

Arie fumed as Andy put the phone to her ear, “Hello?”

“Nice to hear the reunion is going well.” Tet chuckled quietly. “I was just checking in, since I’ll be gone if you return early.”

“Gone? Who’ll be taking care of Kiba? How is he?”

“He’s good. Had a long talk and am pleased to report we have our furball back. We’re heading out on assignment, since Katshiro finally fixed the paperwork and made us active again. Don’t worry, it’s just intelligence gathering. When you do get back, Vasha sent some stuff over with a letter by courier.”

She took a deep breath, “Last time that you went on a mission that I knew about, you were taken.. Then I finally got you back and was taken myself.. It’s been three years really since we were together. Please come home safe.. I can’t lose you again..”

“I know, darlin. Don’t worry, we intend to come back safe and sound. We love you.” The phone clicked in her ear.

She stared at the phone for a minute before holding it out to Arie.

“He was missing for a year!? I knew he’d been gone a while but I didn’t realize..” Arie said quietly.

Andy nodded, “Yeah, we just got him back when I got taken..” she headed to her room and shut the door, collapsing onto the bed. 

The next couple days, Arie had to fight to get Andy to get up and to eat anything. Andy seemed to be eating less and less. Finally, Arie looked at her, “I’m not helping you, am I?”

“You are. I don’t know.. Everything is just so hard..”

Arie gave her a sad smile before admitting, “Maybe you  _ would  _ be better at the base. At least you’d have Rhona there to talk to.”

“Am I too much work..?” Andy looked at the blanket.

“No, not at all, Andy. I just feel like I’m not giving you all the care you need..”

Andy sighed, standing and throwing her stuff into a bag. “Alright. Guess I’ll head back..” 

Arie reached out to touch her shoulder but Andy vanished before she reached her. Arie sighed, calling the base up.

“Kaito. What’s up?”

“Hey, it’s Arie. Andy was returning to the base, I hope. She seems really depressed though, so I just wanted to give you guys a heads up to keep a close eye on her.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep an eye out for her.” The phone clicked off.

Arie curled up in a chair, wondering if she made a mistake.

Andy appeared in her room at the base, throwing her bag down and sitting on the bed. She stared at the wall for a good hour before going to see what Vasha sent.

A small box sat at her door, a soft pink envelope sitting on its top.

She took the box back inside her room before opening the envelope.


	74. Chapter 74

_ “Dearest Andy, _

_ I am so happy I was able to find and rescue you and happier still to see you still have the fire in your eyes. Don’t let anyone ever take that from you. You are truly Gansial, with all her courage and strength of will. I am giving you my most beloved items. May you use them well. You remember what I told you about the ring I gave you, I hope. I know the shop is in good hands. I have left on a journey with a friend. I hope to return, but if I do not, I know you will understand that it was not from lack of desire. Be well, child. _

_ Vasha” _

Tears filled her eyes as she read it over again. She finally set the letter down and opened the box.

A beautiful book of shadows lay on top, several histories of various civilizations below it. There was another journal, the name faded but still readable as Karlon. Several crystal bracelets and a pair of iridescent butterfly earrings.

Andy looked at the jewelry, feeling a sense of familiarity. She soon realized they were Gansial’s. She slipped the bracelets on and put in the earrings before carrying the books out of the room to put on her office desk.

Daiki looked up from where he was stitching his hand up. “Vasha’s gifts?”

Andy nodded, “Yeah.” She set them down before asking, “Do you need help?”

He flashed a grin at her. “Didn’t want to ask. My own stupid fault in the first place. Wasn’t paying attention and the knife slipped.”

Andy rolled her eyes and went over, slipping on gloves before finishing the stitches for him.

“Thanks.” He sighed, eyeing her. “Can’t help feeling guilty. Didn’t help that Arie was absolutely furious and lost her temper with Boss and the rest of us. She still hasn’t forgiven us, I bet.”

“It’s not like it was any of your faults.”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t keep the guilt away. We swore to keep you safe as long as we were alive and then you were grabbed right out from under us. And we couldn’t find you. We didn’t even know if you were alive. Tet was the only one who still believed we weren’t looking for a corpse.”

Andy sighed, “It’s impossible to protect me from everything. It’s just something that happened. We can’t change it, so we can only move on from it.”

“You’re right. I-”

He was interrupted by Kiba and Tet appearing. Tet was semi conscious, Kiba supporting him. As the wolf saw her, he was quick to speak. “He’s alright. Just got slipped a sedative by the person we were following. He’ll be okay in a few hours.”

Andy nodded, “Alright..”

Kiba lay Tet down, then kissed her hard. “Sorry for before.” He whispered in her ear.

She shook her head, “It’s alright.” 

He grinned at her, then raised an eyebrow at Daiki. “What the hell did you do to yourself?”

“Supposedly a knife slipped,” Andy answered. 

“Supposedly? What does that mean?” Kiba looked back and forth between her and Daiki.

Andy shrugged, “It’s what he said happened.”

“I’m not that bad, Andy. I swear I was cooking.” Daiki said quietly.

“Okay.” She gave him a small smile. “Try to be more careful.” 

“No argument from me. I better get back.” He went out the door.

Kiba grabbed her again, kissing her hungrily. “I missed you so damn much.”

“I missed you too,” she smiled softly. 

“Kinda surprised you’re back so soon. Did Arie scream at you too?”

“We.. weren’t the best to each other.. but she kinda seemed like she decided she didn’t want to take care of me anymore.. says she wasn’t sure she was helping me enough.”

“Andy, take it easy on her. She’s not used to dealing with everything we are. You being gone was really hard on her. Sad to say, she lashed out at us. We weren’t much better. We both said things we shouldn’t have and haven’t had any contact until now. She and Kenji broke up because of her feelings.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I guess I didn’t fully think of it.. But I did try to get along with her. Maybe I just have too many problems for her..”

“Give her a chance. She wants to help, but doesn’t know how. You’re back practically from the dead. You.. look like you do, which undoubtedly sent her into mother hen mode. She doesn’t want you to worry about anything but getting well. Though I’m still upset at being accused of being the worst thing that could have happened to you and dragging you to your assumed death.”

“If it helps, I think you’re one of the best things to happen to me,” Andy gave a small smile. “I’ll let her help, but I’m not going back there right away. I think I need some time away from her. We’re going to have to spend time together soon anyway though, to figure out who’ll run the bookstore and when.”

Kiba narrowed his eyes. “Why would you two be running the bookstore? Where is Vasha?”

“Technically, he gave me the bookstore a long time ago.. but apparently he’s journeying with a friend for a while.” She said quietly. “He even sent some things to me in case he doesn’t return..” She took a deep breath. “One thing you might find interesting, though.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.. I don’t know if he will come back, it kind of seems like he won’t, but I don’t have reason not to trust him.”

“What did he…” Kiba’s eyes went unfocused as he saw the jewelry.

“Kiba?” Andy said gently.

He slowly reached out and touched the earrings. “He had them still..”

Andy nodded slowly.

He dropped his hand, shaking his head. “What did he send?”

“The thing I think you’d be interested in is a journal of Karlon’s.”

He froze, fear on his face. “No..I don’t need to read it. Thanks anyway. I got to go deliver my report to Boss.” He turned and fled the infirmary.

Andy sighed, shaking her head before going and organizing the books on her desk. She finally sat down and opened Karlon’s journal, beginning to read it. She wondered how much of it Kiba remembered..

**Summer, 15th day of 7th month**

**Martinous is dead.**

**Even as I write this, my mind refuses to believe it. Nevermind the fact that he lies in state in the throne room, or the fact Gansial refuses to leave his side. The very idea that our rock, our knight could be brought down by a coward such as Seltain is abhorrent. Vasha has taken to hiding in his chambers, the guilt evident on his face when we meet. I feel for the wizard, but can not worry about him when Gansial needs me more.**

  
  


**Summer 28th day of 8th month**

**I have made arrangements with Vasha to keep our magical items if we fall in battle tomorrow. Gansial has given him the castle and named him Regent. I pray that we can defeat Seltain and return, but deep down I know this is the end, at least for me. I do not wish to return if she does not.**

The last entry was scrawled, spots of dried blood evident on the paper.

**First day of Fall**

**We failed. Our world is lost to Seltain, may his name be cursed for all eternity. Less than a hour ago, my beloved breathed her last and took my heart to the Summerlands. I will soon join her, as the healers can not heal the wounds inflicted by Seltain. I have no wish to survive without my two loves, even if possible.**

**Vasha, please keep fighting. We believe in y--**

The entry stopped mid sentence.

Andy stared at it for a while. She knew Gansial was killed by Seltain, and she knew Vasha lived when Seltain rose to power, so why had she never thought that Vasha would have known Gansial? She wished she had her memories from back then, and hoped that Gansial’s journal would trigger more. She finally set the journal down, staring blankly at the desk as she went over the few memories she did have from Gansial’s life. She eventually pushed herself up and went to sit by Tet.

He gave a groan, covering his eyes. “I’m going to kill that little shit when I find him.”

Andy chuckled softly in response.

He squinted at her. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Andy shook her head, “I’m fine. Just been reading a bit.”

He frowned, but didn’t push. Instead, he sat up and blinked rapidly. “Where’s Kiba?”

“Went to talk to Tsukasa.”

“Okay.” He looked at the jewelry. “Vasha?”

“He sent me some stuff.”

“Nice of him. Those are quite beautiful. Remind me to thank him.”

“Not sure we’ll be seeing him again. I’m a little worried but I don’t have any reason not to trust him.” She sighed. “Plus, they were Gansial’s, so they were kind of mine anyway.”

“I don’t like the sound of that. Why do you believe he’s gone?”

“Just a vibe I’m getting from his letter. He says he’s going on a journey with a friend.”

Tet scowled, “Definitely don’t like the sound of that. Did he send anything that sends out trouble vibes? Something you wouldn’t have expected him to give up?”

“He sent a book of shadows, but I haven’t had a chance to see who it belongs to.. also sent some books about civilizations which just seemed a bit random? The rest was the jewelry and a journal of Karlon’s.”

“Any insights into the third member of Gansial’s triangle?”

“He didn’t write a ton,” she was quiet a moment before asking, “How much do you remember of our past lives?”

“Other than the visitations while I was under Branch’s thumb? Not much. I remember only one thing clearly-- you and Kiba weeping as I died.” He looked at her. “Can I see the books?”

Andy nodded and went to the office. She first grabbed the book of shadows and opened it, looking for a name.

**_To Vasha, with undying love from the Trio of the Chosen_ **

She flipped through a few pages before going to the back of the book.

Another picture similar to the locket was taped inside. This one was full size, Vasha standing beside the three rulers, a happy smile on his face.

Andy sighed, closing it and carrying the books out to Tet.

His eyes began to glow suddenly, the titles of the civilization books changing in front of her.

_ A History of the Kingdom of Thuria Volumes 1-3 as written by Martinous, consort of Queen Gansial _

“Interesting..” Andy stared at them.

“I hid the titles to keep them from being destroyed. They are our books of shadows.” Tet’s voice was slow, as if he was not the one speaking. 

“So, our books of shadows, a journal of Karlon’s, my jewelry. The only other thing is the other book of shadows which seems to be Vasha’s..”

Tet nodded, his eyes still glowing. “We gave him that not long after he rebelled and joined us. He was a great aid to us. He is returning it as a wizard does before death.”

“But why would he be dying? I mean, I know he’s old, but he has a new body and no health issues. He has to be in some sort of trouble, right? But why go through all the trouble of sending us all this stuff instead of asking for help?” Andy tried to piece everything together.

“Was there a letter?”

“Yes,” Andy answered. She went and grabbed it before handing it over.

Tet read it over, then gave her a small smile. “Read it again with your magic.”

Andy raised an eyebrow but did as instructed.

_ “Dearest Andy, _

_ I have hidden this message within an innocent sounding letter. If you are reading this, know I did not leave of my own free will. I have been captured, along with the friend who helped me rescue you by an old enemy. I fear we will be unable to escape and so I entrust the magic of your previous incarnations to rob said enemy. I have been honored to know you once again and will treasure it always. Live well.” _

Andy took a deep breath, “So he is in trouble. Let’s get Kiba and go save him.”

Tet regarded her quietly. “You do not have what you require to save him.”

“What do we require then?”

“ **You** require your knowledge.” Tet suddenly slumped into her arms unconscious.

Andy set Tet down gently before opening the first of the books and beginning to read.

Suddenly the words began to glow, filling her vision.

Some memories began appearing as she stared at the bright words.

_ Vasha appeared before a throne, his clothes dirty and bloodstained. He asked for asylum and leniency. His dumbstruck look as he was healed and accepted as a comrade. _

_ Vasha being attacked by Seltain, his sickness taking root and the three’s frantic search for a cure. _

_ The wizard standing at Martinous’ grave, vowing vengeance. _

She worked on reading the words over, visions of her with Martinous and Karlon beginning to appear as well. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking them all in. When they quit overwhelming her, she opened her eyes again and continued on. There were a few spells she read over, memories of using them coming to her mind. She kept reading, more and more memories filling her mind. 

_ Vasha’s smile as he announced her pregnancy and his tears when it ended in stillbirth. _

_ Martinous’ eyes as he died, the love that transcended the years. _

_ Karlon’s eyes as she whispered her love before consciousness faded. _

Andy’s eyes filled with tears as she remembered the lifetime she lived before. She finally wiped her eyes, “But what of this can save Vasha..?”

A deep voice answered from behind her. “Your love for him will save him.”

Andy turned, looking confused.

Kiba bowed in apology. “I did not mean to startle you, my Queen. You needed to remember all he did for us and our great love for him. The enemy has no doubt planted seeds of doubt in his mind. You must break that doubt to save our wizard.” His eyes were also glowing as he looked at her.

He continued to stare, then bowed his head. “Forgive me. It has been so long since I saw your beauty.”

She gave a small chuckle before looking back at Tet. “We’ll wait for him to wake, then go save Vasha together.”

A few minutes later, Tet’s eyes opened. They were still glowing and he stood, addressing Kiba. “Is she ready?”

Kiba nodded. “She is, Martinous. She has regained the knowledge she needs.”

Andy stood, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath. When she opened them, they were faintly glowing purple. “Let’s go then.”

The two men led her out of the base, then muttered the teleport spell.

They materialized in an old castle. It smelled dusty and unused, but otherwise looked fine. Tet turned to her. “Do you remember this place, my lady?”

She was quiet for a moment before answering, “This was ours, wasn’t it?”

He smiled softly. “Yes. We must take it back from those who wish to use it for evil.”

She nodded, starting down a familiar hallway.

The men followed, their eyes casting shadows as they searched for intruders.

They finally came to a large room. Andy entered it slowly, feeling like they weren’t alone.

Vasha lay bound on the floor, another man beside him. A circle encompassed both of them as she heard a pleased laugh.

“You actually came. I’m honored. Now you shall suffer the same fate.” A short man came out of the corner, extending a hand and beginning to mutter.

Andy threw her hand out, the man flying against the wall.

He screamed in anger, then muttered a spell.

Tet and Kiba cried out, both sinking to their knees in pain.

Andy growled, “What do you want? Why are you doing this?”

“Power. Victory once and for all. Lord Seltain was unable, but I will. I will have that one’s power and I will banish you and them to the darkness. Never again will you return, nor have peace in the Summerlands. You will roam for all eternity alone.” He laughed maniacally.

Andy laughed, “You honestly think  _ you  _ are more able, more powerful, than Seltain? He’d be offended to hear that,” she then smirked, “I’d know, I’ve seen into his mind.” She muttered a spell quickly, ropes appearing around the man, tightening around his chest and neck. She watched him struggle for a moment before beginning another spell. 

The man stopped struggling, his lips moving silently. The ropes suddenly fell away and he stood, his eyes locked on Vasha. He murmured once again and pink light suddenly shot out from the wizard’s chest and flew towards him. He slowly smiled at Andy. “I have been absorbing wizards for the last two thousand years. You thought a puny spell like that would hold me?”

“Sounds like you’d be a good snack,” Andy answered before shifting and pouncing at him.

He extended a hand, freezing her in mid pounce. “I am unafraid of you, Queen Gansial. You are but a relic, a memory of the old days. A ghost. One I shall banish, but not before you see my triumph.” The pink power began to be absorbed into him as he gave Andy a look of sympathy. “How  _ does _ it feel to watch all you love die again? Knowing you will never be reunited?”

Andy focused hard, slowly unfreezing. “Of course, don’t be afraid of Gansial. She was defeated by Seltain. Be afraid of  _ me,  _ Andy. The one who defeated Seltain, not once but three times.” She reverted back to human form before closing her eyes. When she opened them, a huge burst of power came flying from her hand, shooting him to the ground.

His eyes widened in disbelief. “How?”

“You might have been absorbing power for a couple thousand years, but not only do I have Gansial’s power, I have Seltain’s and at least ten other wizards. On top of that, I’m obviously more than a mere witch.” She answered before muttering a spell.

He growled. “You  _ will not _ rob me of victory! If you kill me, I’ll take your lovers with me!  **All** of them! Not just the ghosts!” He extended a shaking hand at Tet and Kiba who began to stiffen in agony.

Andy threw her arms out, a large purple barrier appearing between him and her loves. The two relaxed slightly.

She looked at the man, her eyes glowing brighter. “I  _ will not _ let you hurt them, or anyone ever again.” She stared at him for a moment before muttering a final spell, “Here’s a gift from Seltain, for failing once again.” She watched as he began writhing, his body starting to be torn apart.

He finally went still, then there was a simultaneous cry from Tet and Vasha. 

A huge burst of power flowed out of Vasha while Tet collapsed limp to the ground.

Andy focused a barrier around Vasha, pushing the power back toward him. As the barrier worked, she headed to Tet and looked him over. 

He lay dead, no injuries apparent.

Kiba cradled him, tears streaking his cheeks. The wolf raised his eyes to hers as Karlon’s voice spoke. “They are both gone.”

Andy closed her eyes, focusing on her memories of both Tet and Martinous. She held her hands out and let power flow into the body, working to revive him.

He shuddered, gulping in air but remaining unconscious.

“Are you going to kill me too at last? Take my power for yourself as you did Seltain’s?” Vasha’s voice was weak and tired. “I should have realized your friendship was just a means to an end. A way to win the war.”

“Old friend, don’t forget, I had your power after I killed Seltain. If I wanted it, I’d have kept it. I want  _ you, _ alive and safe.” She moved to him and pushed power into him, working to heal him.

He shook his head. “You said I was your friend, then used me. I lost everything when I rebelled and then I watched all of you die and leave me. You gave me no sign you had returned and left me to wander alone for centuries. Just kill me and let my suffering end. My friend has already started his journey.”

“Used you? I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not like we chose to leave you. We couldn’t control our deaths. And I only just returned in Andy. And she didn’t know who she was.” She sighed. “You may have been sick, but I  _ know _ your life wasn’t all suffering. You had friends in us, in Andy’s father, in Jun. Now you have Andy and Arie, and the rest of us.” She pushed more power into him, giving him more strength. “We  _ love  _ you Vasha. All of us.”

A glow in his eyes suddenly snapped and disappeared. “What happened? What are you doing here?” He glanced beside him and his face fell. “I’m sorry, Camui. I hope you’re at rest.”

“Do you want me to revive him?” Andy asked softly.

“I do not know if it is possible. That man tore his power out and I fear banished him to the darkness.”

Andy paused for a moment, “Give me a few. I know a way to figure out what he did and see about reversing it.” She shifted and went over to the man she’d been fighting. She ripped into him and began to feed. She struggled to eat the whole brain but finally finished it. She then closed her eyes and focused on his memories.

She returned to Vasha and his friend, holding her hand out. Yellow light flowed from her into Camui before she focused her revival energy on him.

The wizard arched his back, inhaling sharply. A dark cloud rose from his body, vanishing in the air. Blue eyes opened, looking around in confusion.

“You okay?” Andy asked quietly.

He looked at her, then answered “Thanks to you, I believe I am fine.”

“Darlin, where the hell are we?” Tet sat up, staring at Kiba in wonder.

“Our old castle,” she answered softly. “Good to see you awake.”

“Should have known better than to ask. What’s with furball’s eyes?”

Andy gave a soft smile, “You two were your old selves again. He still is.”

Kiba looked at her. “Martinous sleeps. I will join him. If you need us, just call.” His eyes closed and he slumped into Tet’s startled arms.

Andy sighed softly, kneeling beside them and checking Kiba over. “He’ll be alright once he wakes.”

“How do we get back home? No offense, but I’ll feel better when we’re out of here. Plus, Vasha looks like hell.” Tet hefted the wolf as he stood shakily.

Andy went to Vasha and Camui, putting her hands on them, “Just teleport to the infirmary.” The three vanished. She worked on getting Vasha into a bed.

She sat beside him, beginning to feel exhausted. She knew she was still pretty weak after her kidnapping but also knew she couldn’t have left Vasha in trouble. 

Camui laid a glowing hand on her. “Thank you.”

Tet appeared, laying Kiba in a bed before rolling onto one himself and passing out.

Andy gave a tired chuckle as she watched her two loves, then looked back at Camui, “I’m Andy by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“Camui.” He bowed. “Likewise. I am glad to see Vasha rescued you.” He eyed her critically. “Would you accept a gift from me?”

“A gift?”

“Consider it returning the favor.” The glow of his hand grew brighter, covering Andy. In seconds, her appearance had returned to normal.

She looked at herself in surprise. “Thank you.”

Camui simply nodded, then grabbed the edge of Vasha’s bed as he swayed.

Andy stood and put a hand on his shoulder, “Why don’t we get you into a bed so you can get some rest too?” 

He gave her a small smile, then nodded again.

She helped him into a bed before sitting back down. She looked back down at herself, wondering how long it’d been since she looked like that. She knew she was still having trouble with food, but if she could manage to start eating a bit more, she wouldn’t get back to that sickly state. She lost herself in her thoughts, closing her eyes and curling up in the chair.

Daiki walked in and stopped. He smiled to himself, then grabbed a small first aid kit to put in his go bag and left without waking anyone.

Andy eventually opened her eyes, checking everyone over. 

They were all still sleeping peacefully.


	75. Chapter 75

Andy stood in front of the mirror. She’d still been struggling to eat and it was evident she was losing weight again. At least she still looked way better than when she arrived back from her kidnapping. She’d also still been struggling with her bad memories, still surprised some mornings that she was at the base and not a cell. 

She’d spent most of the time writing down spells and information in her books from the wizard she’d eaten. When she did leave the base, it was to visit Arie who was still staying at Andy’s house. They’d made up, mostly anyway, and were trying to catch up and spend more time together. Arie and the rest of the team still weren’t on the best of terms but Arie and Kenji had been spending more time together again. 

Andy shook her head, finishing getting dressed before heading to the kitchen to start breakfast for everyone.

Ryon was already in the kitchen. He gave her a bright smile. “Morning.”

“Hey,” Andy smiled, heading to the fridge and pulling things out. She threw the food on the stove and waited for it to start heating up. 

“Wanted to give you a heads up to avoid Boss if at all possible.”

Andy sighed, “What’s wrong now?”

“Katshiro is sending a new aide for him and we’re taking bets on if he survives the day.”

Andy frowned, “Where’s Daiki been?”

Ryon sighed. “Assignment from higher up. Said that his skill set was needed for some black operation. He was supposed to be back last week, but nobody will tell us anything.”

“Has anyone tried pathing him and asking if he’s okay?”

“No answer. Eerily similar to another set of disappearances. None of the porters have found him either. Afraid something’s happened, but with no way to find him, we’re stuck with a pissed off Boss.”

“Can’t we start a search party of some sort? I mean, we can’t just leave him if he’s in trouble.”

“Headquarters won’t even tell us what the job was, much less where.” Ryon ran a hand through his hair. “Always told the idiot he attracted too much attention with his hobby.”

Andy sighed, “If he doesn’t come back soon, I’ll find a way to track him.”

“Katshiro told Boss to forget about Daiki. That’s why the new aide.” Ryon’s voice was low and angry. “Of course it doesn’t matter to  _ him _ .”

Andy growled, “We can’t just forget about him. He’s a teammate. And more to Boss. Uh, I’d like to meet Katshiro one day and punch his brains in..”

“Can I run concessions?” Ryon gave a grin.

Andy chuckled. “Seriously though, I’ll find a way to track Daiki. Even if it takes a while. I’m not just leaving someone.”

“That’s our Andy. Well, I have a briefing in five, so I’ll see you later.” He waved as he left, sliding around the entering Tsukasa.

The dragon gave a curt hello, filling a large cup with coffee and retiring to a back table. He sat staring at the table silently, the cup untouched.

Andy sighed as she watched him for a few minutes then finished up the food. 

She went and slid him a small plate, “You better eat something. Even if it’s little. And try not to worry too much, I’m not just going to let Daiki stay missing forever.” She headed back to the stove and started filling more plates as a few more team members appeared.

Tet appeared, giving her cheek a kiss. “Hey darlin.” His eyes strayed to where Tsukasa was slowly eating. “He looks like shit.”

Andy nodded, “Yeah, but I’m going to try to help.” 

“You think he’ll barbeque you if you give him the bad news instead of me?”

“Bad news?”

“I just got out of the radio room. Section 38 has declared Daiki a turncoat and has issued orders to terminate on sight. There was a report he was seen earlier and agents took some shots at him. He got away, but there was blood left behind. He’s a fugitive.”

Andy growled, “He’s not a turncoat. Those assholes..” She shook her head, “Where was he last seen?”

Tet pulled out his phone, showing her a set of coordinates. “Word of warning. Daiki is an expert at disappearing. The whole reason Branch got their hands on him was because he’d gotten caught after five years of stealing and fencing art. He can be standing in front of you and not be seen. If he hasn’t made contact, there’s a reason.”

“He’s in trouble, so I’m going to do what I can to help.”

“He probably doesn’t want to drag us into whatever’s going on. He should know better, huh?”

Andy nodded, closing her eyes a moment and focusing on Daiki. She figured she’d try contact before searching, just in case.  _ “Daiki, I know you’re probably hurt. I want to help. I don’t know what exactly is going on, but I know you wouldn’t turn on us. I’m going to look for you, even if you don’t answer me.” _

_ “Has anyone shown up there? Anyone new assigned to Tsukasa?” _ His voice was filled with worry and pain.

_ “They’re assigning him a new aide.. hasn’t arrived yet though.” _

_ “Don’t let him near Saka! Promise me..It’s a trick to kill him.” _

_ “Is Katshiro behind it? Why would they want Tsukasa killed?” _

_ “Not Katshiro..Section..38..want to take over..” _ The voice trailed off into silence.

Andy growled, “I’m going to kill them.” She opened her eyes and looked at Tet, “What can you tell me about Section 38?”

“Black operation section? They do anything that can’t be traced back to the military. Work hand in hand with the intelligence services mostly. Wet work, sabotage, agent provocateurs. Bloodthirsty assholes, the lot of them. Boss and Yuki despise them with a vengeance.”

Andy nodded slowly, “And how bad would it be to kill them if they’re doing bad things...?”

“Darlin, bad things are in their job description. Mind elaborating?”

“It’s what Daiki told me.. I don’t want to get you into trouble if this ends badly.” She answered. “Just keep an eye on Boss. Don’t let him out of your sight once the new aide shows up..”

“Alright.” Tet answered slowly. “How bad  _ is  _ this? On a scale of Branch to Seltain..”

“They want to take something over. Not sure if it’s just us or the whole military.”

“ _ Like hell _ .” The words were hissed through clenched teeth.

Andy nodded, “So this might end badly, but I’m going to attack them.” She kissed his cheek, “I love you. Hopefully I’ll see you soon.”

“Alone? Right now? Was Daiki there?”

“I don’t know where Daiki is, but he did talk to me.” Andy answered. “And yeah, I am.”

“Darlin..let me get a team together before you do this. I don’t know how you think you can take on a heavily armed huge section alone.”

“I don’t want the others getting hurt,” Andy said simply. “And I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Tet scowled, looking up as Kei anxiously waved at them.

Andy looked at Kei, “What’s up?”

“The new assistant just locked himself in with Boss. He’s made it where we can’t get in. There was a lot of shouting from Boss but now it’s gone quiet.”

Andy looked at Tet, “And that’s why I wanted to keep an eye on him..” she looked at Kei, “Has anyone tried porting in?”

“There’s a barrier. Jun can’t break it.”

Andy sighed and headed to the office. She put her hand on the door, eyes beginning to glow. She focused on the barrier for a moment before saying a spell. She then vanished, porting into the room.

The assistant was watching out the window, jumping when she appeared. “Who are you and how did you get in?”

“Ohh, you don’t know me? I’m a bit surprised.” She answered. 

“Kadoya is more secretive than we are. At least he was.” The assistant gave a small smile.

Andy rolled her eyes, “So what do you want here exactly?”

“I’ve already gotten it. My assignment is complete. Just waiting for the clean up crew.” He smirked as his eyes strayed to the couch where Tsukasa lay sprawled. “This squad is ours.”

Andy went to Tsukasa and checked him over quietly for a moment before asking, “Why do you want the squad?”

“Why not? An  _ entire _ squad of gifted military people is being underutilized by that idiot Katshiro. We can use them much better.”

“You know what’s magical? Not being military and not having to answer to you guys. Another wonderful thing? Being a necromancer who can easily bring Kadoya back.” She smirked before beginning to mutter a spell focused on him. She watched as he began to fall to the ground.

“Damned..secretive bast..” The man went still.

Andy went to Tsukasa and pushed energy into him. 

After a few minutes, the dragon coughed. His eyes weakly opened and slowly focused on her. “Andy? Where’s the aide?”

“I killed him.”

Tsukasa nodded quietly, then asked “We’re in danger aren’t we?”

“Section 38 wants to control us. But I plan to take them out. Or as many of them as I can, anyway.”

“They killed him, didn’t they?” Tsukasa’s eyes filled with tears.

“He was alive earlier and we talked, so if he is dead, he’s not been gone long. I’ll be able to revive him once I can find him. Or Jun can if something happens to me when I take out the section.”

The dragon sat up, giving a look at the corpse. “Anyone expecting him back?”

“He mentioned a clean up crew? Not sure what that entails but you guys might want to strengthen defenses just in case.” She went and unlocked the door.

Kei, Tet and Touma rushed in, stopping as they took stock of the situation.

“You two okay?” The earthwitch asked.

Andy nodded. “I’ll let you guys handle things here. I’m going to see about finding Daiki and  _ maybe _ killing some people.”

Tet snorted. “Your infirmary bed hasn’t been used in awhile. Just put clean sheets on. Have at it.”

Andy smirked before kissing him. She then vanished from the office.

She had focused on Daiki, trying to teleport to his location. She looked around, trying to find him.

A squalid dump of a motel room met her eyes. She glimpsed shoes sticking out of the bathroom.

She went and looked in the bathroom, trying to see what the situation was.

Daiki lay unconscious, blood covering one side of his face with more beneath him. His breathing was almost non existent, his skin cold and clammy from shock.

Andy said some spells and pushed energy into him for a few minutes before teleporting him to the infirmary. She ordered Akasa to set up a transfusion before she focused on Section 38 and vanished again.

An innocuous door labeled 38 met her eyes. 

She focused for a moment, checking for barriers before opening it.

A secretary raised his head. “Do you have an appointment or orders?”

Andy raised an eyebrow, “Wasn’t expecting a secretary.”

He gave her a slow smile. “You need a job?”

“As much as that  _ does _ interest me, I’m here because your people tried to kill a couple men that I care about.” 

“We do take complaints seriously. There’s a form you can fill out..” He surveyed the desk for a moment before nodding. “Here it is.” He began to point a large handgun at her.

Andy rolled her eyes and muttered a spell, quickly dropping him on the desk before moving on to look at the other door she noticed.

A meeting was apparently taking place behind it, a large money figure being discussed.

Andy focused and one by one began dropping the men.

All was quiet for several minutes, then a phone rang.

Andy watched it, waiting to see if it went to voicemail and had any important information.

It finally ceased, the icon for voicemail appearing on the screen shortly after.

She lifted the phone and hit the button.

_ “This is Tallman. The team and Okino have been eliminated. Kadoya is still alive. We need to regroup and decide how to proceed.” _

Andy looked interested. She sat in the chair, using an invisibility spell and sitting there for a while, seeing if anyone showed up.

A tall brunette burst into the room, gun drawn. He froze, paling as he saw the bodies. He began to reach for his cell in panic.

Andy stood, still invisible. “Yes, grab your phone. Call the rest of them here.”

“Where are you? Show yourself!” He shakily aimed the gun around the room.

“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” She’d moved across the room so she wasn’t speaking from the same location as before.

“Why should I call anyone?” He regained his composure. “Let me guess. You’re one of Kadoya’s people.”

Andy muttered a spell, making him fall in agonizing pain. “Because if you call, I  _ might _ not kill you. Or if I do, it’ll be quick and painless, unlike what you’re feeling.”

He nodded quickly, reaching for his phone and dialing a number. He pressed a few buttons, then looked around the room. “Everyone in country has been called here. I swear.” 

She released the spell, “Good. Now sit there like a good boy or I’ll have more fun with you.”

He stayed on the floor, his eyes darting around the room. “Why are you doing this? How much were you paid?”

“I wasn’t paid anything. But you guys messed with my family.”

“Family? So this  _ isn’t _ about Kadoya’s freaks?” He looked confused.

Andy laughed softly but didn’t answer. She continued to move around the room so her voice was never in the same place.

Several men charged in, stopping when they saw the man alone.

“What the hell is this, Tallman? Did you kill them?” One aimed at the brunette with a snarl.

Andy just smirked to herself as she watched.

“I didn’t! I swear! There’s someone here, I thought she was one of Kadoya’s…” He screamed at the air. “Speak to them!”

Andy laughed at him before moving again. 

The man aiming at Tallman snapped off a shot, hitting the brunette between the eyes. He dropped like a puppet with his strings cut.

“Aww, I was actually going to let him go,” Andy spoke from behind them, having a bit too much fun with being invisible.

They whirled, eyes panicked as they tried to figure out where to aim. “Show yourself!”

Andy laughed coldly, saying a spell and dropping a few of the men, dead to the floor.

The rest rioted, fighting to get out the door en masse.

Andy watched them, finally becoming visible. “Aww, you don’t want to have more fun?”

One turned, aiming at her head.

She waved her hand, a barrier appearing in front of her. She muttered a spell once more, dropping more of the men. 

The man with the gun emptied the clip, his eyes getting more frightened as the bullets fell to the floor. “What the  _ hell _ are you?”

“That’s a loaded question,” she answered.

He reloaded, this time taking careful aim and firing.

The barrier was still up, the bullet falling flat inches in front of her.

Another man behind her fired seconds later.

She hadn’t noticed him, the bullet lodging in her back. She fell forward onto her knees. She weakly muttered a spell, dropping the other men to the ground. 

There was a rush of air, then Jun was beside her. “Andy!” He grabbed on to her and teleported to the infirmary.

“She’s been shot in the back I think.” He told Akasa worriedly.

Andy struggled, trying to push herself to her feet but she found she couldn’t feel her legs. 

“Andy, stay still!” Akasa ordered as he began to scan her over. “Dammit, it’s lodged in a bad spot.”

“Aren’t all spots bad for a bullet?” She snapped. She felt pain in her back but knew she should be feeling worse than she was. She knew there was something really wrong.

“Jun, sedate her. If she moves, she’s going to be sorry later.” Akasa bent to his work as the other necromancer injected her in the arm.

She soon passed out.

Akasa stepped away several hours later, wiping his brow in exhaustion. Jun looked up at him.

The nurse sighed. “Bullet’s out. But there was a lot of damage. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Eventually, Andy woke, feeling groggy from the medicine. She blinked her eyes open slightly and tried to look around.

“Hey darlin.” Tet gave her a soft smile.

“Hey..” 

“How do you feel? Other than being loopy, of course.”

“A bit stupid. I got carried away playing with them and completely missed someone getting behind me..”

“It happens. Ask me sometime about Panama. _ I’m _ the reason why the infirmary was stocked with epi-pens.”

She gave a small smile before closing her eyes and attempting to move her feet. She sighed, opening her eyes back up when nothing happened.

Tet touched her hand. “Akasa said there was a lot of swelling putting pressure on the nerves. He thinks it's only temporary, but we’ll have to wait.”

Andy nodded slowly.

An explosion rocked the building and Tet growled.

Andy struggled, trying to push herself up. 

“Stay put. You have to rest.” Tet grabbed his radio. “What the fuck happened?”

Ryon’s answer was clipped. “Bomb had a fake switch. Ryu cut it and triggered the explosion.”

Tet’s face went white. “He okay?”

“No. Find Akasa or Jun  **_now_ ** . We’ll be in there momentarily.”

Tet hit the PA system. “Akasa or Jun to the infirmary. Medical emergency!”

“Just put me in a wheelchair.. I can help.” Andy said quietly.

“Let’s see what the damage is first.” Tet quickly opened the door as Kenji and Ryon carried an unconscious Ryusei in, averting his eyes as he saw Ryusei’s face and chest.

Akasa raced in, immediately issuing orders for blood and beginning to treat the porter.

Andy laid there feeling completely useless. She closed her eyes, trying to fight back tears.

Two hours later, Akasa breathed a small sigh of relief. He collapsed in the chair next to her bed.

She sighed, finally opening her eyes and glancing over at him.

“Hey. You okay?” He watched her as he stretched.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered quietly. “How’s Ryu?”

He grimaced. “It blew up in his face. I got all the shrapnel removed, but his eyes.. Between the flash and the cuts..” He looked over at the bandaged man. “Hopefully you’ll both be up soon.”

Andy held a hand out toward Ryusei, energy flowing from her fingertips into him as she focused on trying to heal his face and eyes.

“You should save your strength to heal yourself.” The nurse said quietly.

“You should know I always take care of the team first,” she answered, pushing energy until it began to fade.

“I know. There’s always a first time though. You need to rest.”

She pushed until it completely faded away, her eyes slipping closed.

She woke feeling weak, surprised when she realized she could feel her legs again. She slowly sat up and looked around.

Ryusei was on a bed nearby, his eyes bandaged. Restraints peeked out from the blanket.

“Ryu?” Andy whispered.

“Hey.” The word was slow and despair filled.

Andy pushed herself off the bed slowly. When she tried to take a step her legs gave out and she tumbled to the floor.

She laid there for a minute before pulling herself up onto a chair. She was quiet as she pushed more energy into Ryusei.

“Just give up already.” The words were hissed, Ryusei’s face scowling.

“Why?”

“Because everyone else has tried and it hasn’t done a damn thing! I’m fucked and I know it.”

“Well, I’d rather know I tried everything I could than just giving up..” she closed her eyes for a moment and ran through the lists of spells she’d gained over the years. She tried a few before reaching to grab a pad of paper. She began scribbling words on it, coming up with the best combination for what she wanted to achieve.

“Just go away.”

Andy looked down, “I can’t. Unless I crawl I guess. But I can’t walk right now..”

Ryusei gave a short bitter laugh. “At least you’re not useless.”

Andy took a deep breath and focused her energy into him as she recited the spell she’d written. If she could build a whole body from scratch, she had to be able to repair a set of eyes, right? She finished the words and prayed they worked.

“I said go--” He stopped mid sentence, a look of confusion on his face. “My eyes feel warm…”

Andy reached over and slowly unwrapped the bandage around his eyes.

He blinked his eyes open, a look of shock crossing his face as he stared at her.

Andy gave him a small smile in response.

Akasa clucked his tongue at her as he entered. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

“You’re going to have to put me back then, cuz even though I feel my legs now, they’re a little useless at the moment.”

“The feeling is back though? That’s a good sign.” He picked her up and put her back into the bed.

Andy sighed as she lay back, staring up at the ceiling.

Tet entered, a smile appearing as he approached her. “Hey darlin. How are you doing?”

She shrugged, “Alright I guess.”

“You don’t sound happy.” He glanced over and smiled wryly. “You’re upset that you could do that but not your own body?”

She sighed, “I have feeling back, so that’s good. Just need to wait a while and see if I can walk once the swelling goes down more. You know I hate waiting.”

He chuckled, kissing her. “Yeah, I do. You’re more impatient than furball.”

“What’s he been up to lately?”

“Recon missions. Which he hates. He’s sleeping right now and it’s my turn. I just wanted to come see you real quick.”

Andy nodded. “Wish you could stay.”

“I’ll be back soon.” He kissed her, then left.

Ryusei moved to her side. “Sorry for my attitude earlier.”

“It’s fine,” she answered.

He gave her a chagrined smile. “No, it’s not. But I won’t waste my breath, so I’ll just say thank you.” He kissed her cheek before leaving.

She went back to staring at the ceiling.

Akasa gave her a look. “Quit moping.”

“What else should I be doing if I’m stuck in bed?”

“Reading, catching up on your sleep, thinking of pranks?” A smile tugged at his lips. “You are healing, so take advantage of the rest.”

Andy sighed, closing her eyes to try to fall asleep. Eventually she did. When she woke the next time, she looked at the ceiling a few moments before pushing herself up. She tried to stand. Her legs were still a bit weak but she managed to take a few steps.

“Congrats.” Tsukasa’s soft voice spoke.

She looked over in confusion, “Didn’t see you there.”

“I just came in. How are you?”

“Well I can walk a bit, so better.”

He smiled. “Glad to hear it.” He went and got some aspirin, chewing them slowly. “You’ll be back to kicking ass in no time.”

“So, are we in trouble for taking out Section 38?”

“Hell no. Like Branch, we’re getting a bonus.”

Andy chuckled softly, “Well that’s good. Are you doing okay?” She motioned to the aspirin bottle.

“Just paperwork.” He shook his head. “More worried about you and Ryusei. But now the stress is gone. You’re up, at least a little and he’s fine thanks to you.”

Andy nodded, slowly moving back to the bed, “Think I might need a cane for a little bit, but I should be alright.”

“Good.”

She laid back, taking a deep breath, “I do hate being stuck in bed, so I’m glad I can move again.”

Kiba entered, making a beeline to her bed and kissing her deeply. “You feeling better?”

She nodded, “Still sore, obviously, but I can walk some.” 

“That’s great!” His eyes lit up and he kissed her again.

“I hear you’ve been out on recon. How’s that been?”

He scowled. “Pain in the ass. The guy we’re watching is so damn paranoid, he doesn’t stay in the same place. Everyday it's somewhere new. But I did get pics that should allow the higher ups to send us after him for real.”

“Well that’s good at least.” She gave him a small smile.

“Yeah, if they make up their mind soon. He’s a damn trafficker in shifters, like Kenji’s “owner”.” Kiba’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Hopefully you guys can take care of him,” Andy sighed.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to depress you.”

She shook her head, “I’m fine.” She pushed herself up again and slowly made her way to the corner where there was a cane leaning on the wall. She picked it up and started walking back toward him. “So, do you have time to hang out or more missions?”

“I’m free. Tet is finishing up.” Kiba watched her carefully. “You good to do that?”

Andy shrugged, “I’d probably advise my patients to stay in bed...”

“But you’re not them.” Kiba laughed as Akasa shook his head in exasperation.

Andy chuckled softly, “Just stretching my legs a bit. I’ll keep resting, don’t worry.”

“Yeah right. Just don’t fall and break anything okay?” The nurse gave her a look.

She nodded before grabbing Kiba’s hand, “Let’s go watch a movie or something.” 

He gave her a soft smile and nodded.


	76. Chapter 76

Andy stepped out of her car, cane in hand. She’d been getting better but Akasa still wanted her to use the cane just in case. She was about to step into the bookshop when she felt eyes on her. She looked around quickly, spotting a figure she thought she’d never see again. She blinked and he was gone. She wondered if she just imagined him, praying it was just a trick of her mind. She entered the bookstore, pushing the thought from her mind.

After visiting Vasha, she made a stop at the clinic to check on things. When she left, she noticed a van across the street, the same man in the driver's seat. She considered getting closer to investigate and see if she was really seeing who she thought she was, but the van pulled away and quickly sped off.

After returning to the base, Andy kept trying to convince herself she was seeing things. She didn’t want to leave the base though, in case she really did see him.

She sighed and went to the infirmary, planning to do inventory to distract herself.

Akasa looked up from reading one of the spellbooks. “You okay?”

“Not sure. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me.. Maybe I need more meetings with Rhona.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” He sighed as he flipped pages.

“What are you looking for?”

“Boss and Ryu are both sick. I’ve tried healing spells, but nothing’s working. No one else is sick, so I’m stumped on what is going on.”

Andy looked thoughtful, “They both have dragon shifts.. Maybe it’s a dragon disease?”

“Ryon’s not sick at all.” The nurse closed the book.

“Well, let me get some blood samples and start doing tests,” she sighed as she grabbed some supplies.

“They’re in their rooms.”

Andy nodded and headed to Tsukasa’s room first.

He lay tossing and turning in his bed, Daiki trying to keep him still so he could wipe his face. The heat radiating off him was intense.

Daiki looked at her. “He’s gotten worse fast. Started out like a flu, but now..” He finally got the dragon stilled, pointing out a black rash on his arm. “Started a half hour ago in different places.” 

Andy sighed and took a sample, “I’ll figure this out soon. Just try to keep him cool.”

Daiki nodded, dipping the rag in his hand into the bowl of water next to him and bathing the dragon’s face gently.

Andy headed out and went to Ryusei’s room, entering slowly.

He was tangled in his blankets, his face flushed. He was panting, black patches evident on his cheek and neck. His eyes were unfocused from the high fever.

“We’ll have you taken care of soon, okay?” Andy said softly as she got her sample. She looked at him a moment, wishing she could sit beside him to comfort him but knew she had to get to work on a cure.

After slipping out of the room, she went to the infirmary and began doing tests. She finally isolated the issue and called Kei in, “Think we can make a potion to heal this?”

He frowned. “Possibly. We have to do it fast. Akasa just checked on Ryu and the rash has spread a lot.”

Andy nodded, starting to scribble down notes for the potion. They finally figured out what they needed and began gathering the ingredients.

“Shit!” Kei cursed as he reviewed the notes. “We’re out of that.” He pointed to one of the ingredients.

“So we have to go get it..” Andy frowned, not wanting to leave the base but knowing they needed the ingredient.

“I can go if it’s a problem for you.” The earthwitch watched her quietly.

“I’ll be fine,” she gave him a small smile. “We can go together?”

“Alright.” Kei took her hand and said the teleport spell.

They appeared outside of a shop. They walked toward the door when someone bumped into Andy, knocking her over. While Kei was moving to kneel beside her, she looked up and saw the face of the man who’d tortured her for so long. She began to breathe quickly, closing her eyes to try to block it out. When she opened her eyes he was gone once again.

“What’s wrong?” Kei lifted her to her feet, his eyes worriedly watching her.

“I keep seeing him.. The man who tortured me.. I swear it was him..” she struggled to get out. “Are you sure you guys killed the right guy?”

“Absolutely, Andy. He’s dead. He can’t hurt you ever again.”

Andy nodded slowly, “I swear I keep seeing him.. Maybe it’s just leftover trauma..”

“Maybe you should go back. I’ll get what we need.”

“Sorry..” Andy disappeared, sitting down in her office chair and waiting for him to return.

Ten minutes later, he appeared, catching her eye as he headed for the lab.

Andy shook her head, pushing her own problems away to help him finish the potion. 

He kept glancing at her as he added ingredients. “You should go see Rhona.”

“I will, after we take care of Tsukasa and Ryu.”

He went silent as the potion began to turn colors. Finally, it became an ice blue color and he measured a portion into another vial. “I hope we’re not too late.”

She nodded, “You take some to Tsukasa, I’ll go help Ryusei.”

He gave her a nod, vanishing with one of the vials.

Andy went to Ryusei’s room, praying he was still alive and that the potion would work.

The young man was still, his breath coming in gasps. The rash was now covering his face and neck. His eyes were closed now.

She went to him, quickly pouring the potion down his throat and waiting for a reaction.

He jerked, coughing on the liquid. A few moments later, the rash began to disappear.

She kept watching, saying a few spells to try to help speed it up.

The dragon’s breathing stabilized, but he remained unconscious.

She made sure everything was alright before going to check on Tsukasa.

Kei met her at the door. “We were in time. But he’s still unconscious. We’ll have to see if the fever did anything lasting.”

Andy nodded, “Ryu is unconscious too.”

He sighed. “Hopefully they’ll be alright when they wake.”

“Yeah..” she looked down, “I’ll be with Rhona if you need me.” She headed out to see if Rhona was in her office.

The psychiatrist looked up from reading. “Hey, you okay?”

“Apparently not,” she sighed softly, looking down at the floor.

“My couch is always open.”

Andy moved to the couch, sitting down. After a few moments she shook her head, “I keep seeing the guy who tortured me when I’m off base. Kei is sure they killed him though, so I’m just imagining things I guess..”

“You suffered a lot of trauma at his hands. It would be easy to see someone similar and see him instead.”

Andy sighed, “I know..”

“It might be too soon for you to be outside the base.” Rhona crossed to her side. “You’ve barely recovered from the bullet. You should be taking it easy.”

“Alright.. I’ll try to go a bit easier and go out less. I’ll still visit Vasha and Arie though.”

Rhona smiled. “Of course. How are they?”

“Alright. Arie’s been helping at the bookshop and is planning to start teaching again when the next semester starts. Vasha’s doing fine too.”

“Did Arie tell you the news?”

She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

“Kenji popped the question. Arie asked me my opinion. Think she’s nervous at the thought of marriage.”

Andy gave a small smile, “They’re good together though.”

“I told her that.” Rhona chuckled. “Is Vasha seeing someone? I met a friend of his last time I was there and got the feeling there was more than friendship between them.”

“I’m not sure,” Andy admitted. “I do kind of get that feeling too though.”

Rhona nodded. “So, what triggered this?”

“What? Seeing the guy that tortured me?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve seen him a few times while I was off base. Then today he bumped into me..” She sighed and shook her head, “Or someone who looked like him, I guess.”

Rhona frowned. “He bumped into you? Where?”

“We were going to get ingredients for a potion, so we were outside a shop.”

“What was your state of mind?”

“I was focused on trying to help Tsukasa and Ryu, until I was bumped into, then I was panicking.”

“So you were worried. Then someone bumped into you and you saw  _ his _ face.”

“Right.. It seemed so real though..”

“Your mind was already in a state that could easily make you see things.”

Andy nodded, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Just try to relax. You’re safe here. The guys are sure they killed him, so trust them.”

“Alright,” Andy stood. “Thanks.” She disappeared, going to her room and curling up on the bed.

Tet opened the door slowly. “Darlin?”

“What?”

“You alright?” He came in, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Apparently my mind is playing tricks on me.”

His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I keep seeing the guy that tortured me when I’m off base. But Kei insists they killed him and Rhona says it’s basically just a side effect from the trauma.”

Tet took her hand. “It’s alright to be messed up still. Just let yourself heal.” He pulled her into an embrace, holding her close.

Tears filled her eyes, “He just seemed so real.. And I just want to be better.”

“I know, darlin. But you were held a long time. You won’t be better overnight.” He kissed her forehead and squeezed her gently.

She nodded slowly, clutching on to him.

He continued to hold her, murmuring soft words in her ear.

Andy stayed on base the next few weeks. When she finally left, she headed to visit Vasha. She had to park a couple blocks away, so she began her walk there. When she was walking past an alleyway, hands grabbed onto her and pulled her into the shadows. She looked up quickly, freezing when she saw the man that tortured her.

“I’ve been having fun messing with you. Noticed you haven’t left your base in a while. Was that because of me?” He smirked. 

Andy was frozen in fear, unsure what to do. “You’re dead..”

“Do I look dead to you?” He shook his head before pulling out a gun. “It’s been fun, but the end goal was always to kill you. I just had so much fun hearing you scream..” He pointed it at her.

She backed away slowly, her mind filled with fear. The gun went off, a bullet hitting her in the stomach. She fell to her knees, closing her eyes against the pain. When she opened them, he was gone once again. Her eyes were beginning to blur. She muttered the teleportation spell before she passed out, landing on the floor of the infirmary, a pool of blood surrounding her.

Akasa ran to her side, quickly getting her set up on a bed as he removed the bullet and stitched her up. He got a blood transfusion going, then sat down.

She finally opened her eyes, blinking back against the light. Her eyes finally focused on Akasa.

“What the  _ hell _ happened to you?” The nurse frowned at her.

“I was shot.”

“By who?”

She shook her head, “You guys won’t believe me..”

“Darlin?” Tet ran to her bed. “Tell me who did this now.”

She looked down, refusing to meet their eyes, “I swear it was the guy that tortured me. He even talked to me this time.. but I’m just imagining things, aren’t I?”

“You’re not.” Tsukasa entered angrily. “Motherfucker had a double. That’s who got killed. And he’s the one our target just met. Kiba got pictures during the recon.”

“So.. I’m not just crazy..?”

“Nope.” The dragon tossed a set of photos on her lap.

She looked through them a moment before handing them back.

“We hit the target in four hours. Be ready.” The dragon left the infirmary as Tet crumpled a photo in his hand. 

“I’m sorry, darlin. I should have believed you. I should have come with you.”

Andy shook her head, “It’s alright. It makes sense to assume I was just crazy. And you can’t follow me everywhere.”

Tet shook his head. “It wasn’t right to dismiss you.” Then he smirked. “I followed you for two years everywhere. I’m sure I could do it again.”

Andy rolled her eyes at him before squeezing his hand gently. She leaned back, taking a deep breath. “Doubt I can help take out the target.”

“You doubt correctly. You’re staying right here.” Akasa glared at her.

Andy nodded, trying to relax into the bed.

Tet bent over, kissing her gently. “I’ll make sure to kill the asshole if he’s there.”

Andy nodded, “Thanks.”

Tet gave her a smile. “Gotta get ready.” He headed for the door.

“Be careful.”

He gave her another smile, then disappeared.

Andy sighed, “Well, I’m glad to know I’m not totally crazy.”

“You mean other than staying in this asylum of your own free will?” Akasa snickered softly.

Andy chuckled in response.

The radio crackled to life hours later.

“Akasa, prepare for several stage three trauma patients and two stage four.” Tsukasa’s voice was grave.

Andy pushed herself off the bed and into a wheelchair, moving to help him set things up.

The team rushed in five minutes later, carrying the injured in and laying them on beds.

Andy wheeled herself over to one and started triage.

The man laying there was unfamiliar, his chest slashed violently. He was barely breathing, shock having settled in.

She pushed energy into him as she muttered spells, slowly closing up the slash marks.

Akasa attached an IV of blood to his arm before turning to the next bed where Kei lay.

He was unconscious, blood streaming from a nasty gash in his head. One arm was crushed, Akasa shaking his head.

“I’ll get an amputation kit.”

“Not just yet. Let me see what I can do.” Andy answered.

“Alright. I’ll leave him to you.” The nurse moved away to look over Hiroki.

When she was done with the unknown man, she moved to Kei’s side. She closed the gash on his head before closing her eyes. She recited multiple spells before forcing a large amount of energy into him. She tried to make sure his bones were where they belonged, healing them back together. It took a lot of strength and focus, and when she was done, she slumped in the wheelchair, her eyes a bit unfocused as she watched him.

Akasa wheeled her back to her bed, pointedly looking at her.

She moved onto the bed, pulling the blanket up and passing out. 

When she finally woke, she glanced around slowly.

Kei, Hiroki, Yuki, Leo and Kiba lay unconscious along with the unknown man. Akasa rose from the desk chair and moved to her side. “You better now?”

“Well, I’m awake and have more energy, if that’s what you mean.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“Go get some rest. I’ll watch over things,” she pushed herself back into the wheelchair.

“Let me know if there are any problems.” Akasa headed for the door as Tsukasa entered.

“Hey, you sure you should be up?”

“Not entirely. That’s why I’m in a wheelchair instead of trying to stand.” She answered. “But I’m feeling okay for the moment so I figured I can let him get some rest.”

The dragon nodded. “They doing alright?”

“Yeah, they just need rest,” Andy answered. “Any idea who our newbie is?”

“Noritaka. Yuki’s old partner. He was being held by our target, unknown to us.”

Andy nodded, “Okay. So you guys took out the target?”

“Yeah.” Tsukasa looked uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong?”

“The asshole that hurt you got away..I’m sorry.”

Andy shook her head, “It’s alright. I’m sure you guys tried your best.” 

He fidgeted, finally speaking almost inaudibly. “He took Tet..”

Andy’s eyes blazed. She struggled to push herself up into a standing position and focused on them, saying the teleportation spell.

Tet was tied to a table, the man gleefully laughing as he sliced into his arm. One leg was already tossed aside on another table.

Andy growled, beginning to mutter a painful kill spell.

The man suddenly stiffened, his laughter dying away as he turned to face her.

She finished the spell, watching him struggle with the pain for a few moments before dropping dead. She went to Tet, putting his leg back slowly. She focused as much energy as she could into healing it before moving to his arm. When she was finished, she once again felt weak and could barely stay on her feet. She teleported Tet back to the infirmary before falling into a chair.

“Darlin..is this a dream?” Tet’s voice was slow.

“No, this is real.”

“Good..means I can die now..”

“You aren’t going to die, okay?” She said softly. 

“I know what he did. I’ve lost too much blood..” He gave her a small smile. “I refused to let him see me die though.”

“We’ll get you set up with a transfusion. But I healed everything else,” she said quietly.

“He taunted me. Wanted to see if I could scream as well as you. Waved my leg at me..”

“I’m sorry,” she said gently. “He’s dead now though.”

“That’s...good.” His eyes slid shut, his head beginning to fall to the side.

Andy weakly pushed herself up and got the stuff for the transfusion. She set it up and pushed more energy into him.

He didn’t respond.

She closed her eyes a moment before opening them again. They were now glowing and the power surrounding him sparked as it increased.

His body jerked, his chest rising as he gasped for air. 

She continued for another minute before the glowing ceased and she collapsed.

Ryon entered, then ran to her side. “Andy!”

She cracked her eyes open, “Sorry.. wore myself out..”

“No apologies.” He picked her up and laid her on the bed she was using. “You should sleep.”

Andy nodded slowly, her eyes closing.

Ryon moved to Kei’s bedside and sat down.

Andy slept for hours, finally waking when the sun began rising the next morning. She pushed herself up, grabbing the cane and moving slowly to check on anyone still unconscious.

Kei and Noritaka were still in the infirmary, the others gone except for Yuki who was sitting beside his partner’s bedside.

“Morning,” Andy said quietly to Yuki as she checked Noritaka over.

“Morning. You look better.”

She nodded, “Not perfect but I do feel a lot better.” 

“Tet left against Akasa’s objections. How’s my partner?”

“He should be alright once he wakes,” Andy answered.

“The bastard had him in a cage.” Yuki’s eyes darkened.

“Cages suck..” Andy said quietly. 

“Yeah. But I’m worried about his reaction when he wakes and sees me.”

“Hopefully it’ll be a good reaction. I’m sure he missed you.”

“Maybe. We weren’t on speaking terms when I was taken. He’d put in for a transfer.”

“Maybe his mind changed about things over time?”

Yuki shrugged. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits me. I was a lousy partner.”

Andy sighed, “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see I guess.”

Akasa came in and immediately glared at her. “You and Tet are a perfect match. Neither one of you listen.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the doctor here, so I can do whatever I want,” Andy stuck her tongue out.

He scowled at her. “Well, he’s not.”

“True. Any idea where he is?”

“Given that he walks worse than you do? No damn clue.”

Andy sighed,  _ “Hey Tet. You okay?” _

_ “Hurts..” _

_ “Where are you?” _

_ “Bunker.” _

Andy shook her head, “Not walking down those steps,” she went and grabbed some medicine before vanishing, appearing inside the bunker.

Tet was leaning against one wall, eyes squeezed shut and hands wrapped around his leg.

“Hey,” she said gently before poking him with the syringe.

“It hurts..” His eyes were unfocused.

Andy sighed, “Getting a leg cut off will do that. Ask me or Kiba,” she answered before putting a hand on him, “Let me see what I can do to help heal it some more, okay?”

He nodded slowly as the medicine kicked in.

She closed her eyes, focusing her energy before pushing it into him. She focused it on his leg, trying to make sure everything was healed correctly, especially the nerves that would cause the pain.

He sighed softly, his eyes closing as he leaned against her.

She continued to work, pushing energy with one hand and holding him close with the other. After a while, she put her hand down and stopped the energy flow.”I can do more later, but that should be a bit better.”

  
  


“Mmmm.” He didn’t open his eyes.

Andy gave a soft smile before teleporting him to the infirmary and placing him on a bed. She then sat down, making sure she didn’t pop any stitches.

“Nice job.” Akasa said from across the room where he was healing Yuki. 

Andy rolled her eyes, “He get hit?”

“Oh yeah. Broke his jaw.”

“Damn.” Andy winced.

“Yeah, he was pretty pissed. Had Ryon take him to Boss before he went nuclear.” Akasa finished the spell as Yuki touched his jaw gingerly.

“Told you it wouldn’t be a nice reunion.” The former spy spoke softly.

“Sorry,” she sighed. “Was trying to be hopeful for you.”

“Thanks. But I knew he’d be pissed. Though I didn't think he’d break my jaw.” Yuki hopped off the bed after thanking Akasa. “What’s wrong with the rug?”

“Tet? Was taken by the asshole that tortured me. Having some leg issues.”

Yuki winced in sympathy. “Did you get the asshole?”

“Yeah,” Andy nodded.

“A win for our side.” Yuki sat down beside her. “Any advice on my partner? So I don’t end up needing stitches or resurrection.”

“Explain about Branch, and how you’ve changed since back then. I’d hope he’d at least try to understand.”

“Cross your fingers. Nori’s always been a bit of a hothead.”

“Good luck. We’ll be here if you do end up needing us.”

He chuckled as he stood, then took a deep breath and walked out the door.

“I’m alive?” Kei’s voice was soft.

“Yeah, of course you are. You think we’d let you die?”

“Was pretty sure no one could get to me when the place collapsed.”

“Well they did and I fixed you up,” she gave him a small smile.

He chuckled weakly as his eyes closed.

The door opened to admit Noritaka. “Where is he?”

“Who? Yuki? He just left the infirmary.”

“I need to apologize.” The agent rubbed his neck nervously.

“Well, I had suggested he talk to you, so maybe he’s looking for you now? He may also be in his room.” Andy sighed. “Do you want me to show you where that is?”

“Please. Also, are you Andy?”

  
“Yes. Why?”

“Kadoya says you’re the real boss around here and I need a room.”

Andy rolled her eyes, “Sometimes I wonder if he likes me taking charge all the time.” She gave him a small smile. “Alright, I’ll show you a room then show you where Yuki’s is.” She headed into the hallway, moving slowly.

“Are you alright?” He asked as they began to walk. “Maybe I should just find a map or something.”

“I’m fine. Was just shot earlier on top of my back still healing from another bullet wound,” she admitted. “And it’s not like we are going too far.” She went down another hallway and pointed to the end, “The second to last room on the right is free. You can have that one.” 

“Thank you. Just tell me where Yuki’s is. You look like you need to rest.”

Andy nodded and pointed to a closer door, “That’s his.”

Noritaka nodded. “Thank you again.” He went to the door and knocked.

It slowly opened and they spoke quietly for a moment, then the door opened to let the agent in, then closed again.

Andy made her way back to the infirmary, starting toward her bed.

Akasa helped her silently, his eyes watching her closely.

She sat back against the pillow, giving him a small smile, “Thanks.”

“No problem. You need anything?”

She shook her head, “I’m fine.”

“Alright. Get some rest, then I’ll bring you some food.”

Andy nodded, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes, soon falling asleep. A couple hours later, she started whimpering in her sleep as bad memories of her torture began popping up in her dreams. 

Tet slid off his bed, going to her side and embracing her. “Shhh, it’s okay, darlin.”

She woke, eyes going wide. Her breathing was harsh, only starting to slow when she finally focused on him.

“You’re safe. Just breathe slow and steady.” His eyes held no judgement, only love and concern.

She nodded, working on calming herself. When she was a bit better, she whispered, “Sorry.”

“No apologies. You know better than that, darlin.” He kissed her gently.

“I love you.”

“Love you more.” He grinned.

“How are you feeling? Did I wake you?”

“Better and no, you didn’t. I was awake, just debating if I wanted to get up.”

She nodded, “Ok, you probably should rest a bit more though.”

“Wish I could. Boss has to go to Headquarters and I’m his security along with Rei and Yoshi.”

Andy sighed, “Alright. You’ll be ok, right?”

“I’ll be fine. You take your own advice and try to rest alright? We’ll be back soon.” He kissed her again before leaving.

Andy looked up at the ceiling, wondering if she should try to sleep more or just keep laying there.

“You okay?” Akasa came over to her.

“Yeah, I guess.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You want to talk?”

“I’m so sick of these nightmares. First it was Branch, then Bureau, now him.. I just want them to stop,” she was quiet, staring at the blanket.

Akasa picked up one of the spellbooks, flipping pages. Finally he started reciting a spell over her. When he was finished, he looked up. “See if that helps.”

“Thanks,” she gave him a small smile. 

“No problem. Sleep well.”

She nodded, closing her eyes and soon falling back to sleep. She was surprised when she woke again that she didn’t have any nightmares.

Akasa caught her eye and grinned before turning back to Noritaka. “You can’t just hit everyone who annoys you.” He cleaned the former agent’s knuckles with an antiseptic wipe before muttering a healing spell.

“Tell the blond jackass that.”

“Blond jackass?” Andy raised an eyebrow.

“Apparently Jade made a nuisance of himself and Nori punched him.” Akasa rolled his eyes.

Andy rolled her eyes, “Of course he did.”

Kei approached her bed, looking nervous.

“What’s up?”

“I’m sorry for saying you were imagining things.” The words were rushed as the earthwitch dropped his eyes to the floor.

She shook her head, “It’s alright. I  _ am _ still seeing things, and having trouble dealing with things.. So it’s understandable to think I was just imagining him.”

“You almost got killed because we didn’t believe you! We had no reason not to believe, but we still dismissed you. You should kick all of us.”

“It’s okay,” she gave him a soft smile. 

“No, it’s not. But I won’t waste time arguing.” He gave her a wry smile.

Suddenly Tet appeared, his face perplexed as three teens sighed beside him. “Darlin, a little help?”

She looked at the teens closely before smirking, “No way.. What happened?”

“Pissed off witch. Cursed everyone near her.”

Kei began to laugh. “I can do this now.” He ruffled the red hair of the nearest teen who glared at him.

“Do that again and you’re assigned to the Arctic without supplies.” Tsukasa’s voice muttered as Tet fought a smile.

“You guys are so cute!” Andy squealed.

“ _ Seriously _ !?” Tsukasa put his head in his hands in embarrassment.

Andy grinned, “Yes. You guys are just adorable and I just want to hug you all. But let’s see about getting you back to normal...” She glanced at Kei and Akasa, “We’ll start looking through the books.”

“Do we have to?” Kei cracked as Tsukasa growled.

“Yeah, we do,” Andy sighed. 

He huffed, then headed for the lab as Akasa led the three teens to beds.

Tet shook his head, then turned to the two men beside him. “Meet Andy. Anything you need, she can get. And I mean,  _ anything _ .”

“Hi,” Andy smiled.

“Hey,” one grinned back, “I’m Hikaru. This is Hibiki.”

The other looked a bit nervous but tried to smile.

“So are you joining our crew?”

“Seems like it,” Hikaru nodded.

“Alright, I’ll show you to rooms. And like he said, if you need anything, let me know.”

They followed her into the hallway.

“So you’re in charge here?” Hibiki wondered.   
  


Andy chuckled, “I’m in charge of the infirmary, but Tsukasa likes to say I’m the real boss of this place.”

They nodded slowly.

“Oh, what are you guys by the way?”

“Vampires,” Hikaru answered.

“Gotcha. Well there is blood in the fridge in the infirmary or in the kitchen. Normally I cook but feel free to have whatever you want in the fridge if you get hungry.”

“Thank you.”

Andy pointed to a couple doors, “These are for you.”

“Thank you again,” Hikaru smiled as Hibiki just nodded and went into a room.

Andy sighed and headed back to the infirmary, going to her desk to start on the books.

Akasa came out of the lab slowly. “Uh, Andy? We have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?”

He turned and motioned inside the lab.

A  _ much _ younger Kei shuffled out, his face red.

Andy laughed a moment, “Oh this is... both hilarious and terrible. So it’s spreading, which means we need to figure this out fast.”

Akasa nodded. “Question is, is it because he touched Boss or is it airborne?”

“We’ll have to wait and see I guess. Watch if anyone else gets it.” She looked back at the books and flipped through pages. After a while, she started jotting notes down to start creating a spell of her own.

Akasa nodded again, then headed out of the infirmary. Ten minutes later, he was back with a scowl. “We have our answer.”

“Who changed now?”

“Everyone but Tet, Kenji and the Phoenixes.”

“Ohh, I can’t wait to see how adorable Kiba is..”

Akasa smirked. “Before or after you see Kei’s brothers and Ryu?”

Andy’s eyes lit up, “They’re going to be so cute, aren’t they?”

Akasa handed her his phone. “A picture for your records.”

Andy grinned as she looked it over. “This is the _ best _ bad thing to happen.”

“Don’t let Kiba hear you. He’s  _ so _ annoyed right now.”

Andy laughed, “Well, I’ve come up with a potion and a spell. What do you think?” She handed her notes over.

He read the spell and nodded. “Looks good to me.”

“Okay, I’ll put the potion together.” She headed into the lab and started grabbing ingredients. After a while, she came out with multiple vials of green liquid.

Akasa led all the age regressed men to the kitchen, seating them at the tables.

Andy entered, looking at them and just grinning widely. She started passing the vials out, slightly reluctantly, wanting to keep the team looking so cute.

Kiba stuck his tongue out at her as Ryusei snickered.

“I’m sorry, Kiba, you’re just so adorable.”

“Could be worse, furball. You could be a baby. She’d never have you revert.” Tet snarked from his corner.

“Aww, baby Kiba would be the best..” Andy sighed.

“Dammit Tet. Don’t give her ideas.” Kiba glared at his partner as Tet grinned.

“Don’t you think a baby would be fun to take care of?” Andy glanced at Tet. “Too bad we’re all too screwed up to take care of ourselves, let alone a baby.”

“You would be a great mom. But you’d have to retire for safety reasons.”

“I don’t plan to retire until you two do, so unless you both want to retire early..”

Tet looked thoughtful for a minute, then answered “Why don’t we get everyone fixed and we can talk.”

Andy chuckled and continued handing out vials.

Kei and his brothers sniffed the potion and gagged. “This smells awful.”

“Well, take it or stay little.”

The three exchanged glances, then downed the vials as one. 

Ryusei stared at the vial quietly.

“You okay?” Andy went to him and asked softly.

“Do I have to? Like is there a time limit?”

“I don’t know about a time limit, but we aren’t forcing you to drink it. Do you want to stay young?”

“Kinda miss getting taken care of. Especially since this was the age I was when Branch got a hold of me.” He shook his head. “I’m being stupid, aren’t I?”

“Not at all,” she gave him a gentle smile.

“If we knew for sure, you’d be raising me.” He gave a quiet chuckle before downing the potion.

She smiled, “Well, you know I’m always here for anything you need, even if I’m not actually a parent.”

“I call you mom in my head..” He turned red. “You sure there’s not truth serum in this?”

Andy gave a small laugh before wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

He hugged her back just as tight before Tsukasa cleared his throat.

Andy pulled away, giving Ryusei a smile before looking at Tsukasa, “What’s up?”

“Let’s get this done before your wolf loses his mind.”

Andy laughed and handed Kiba a vial.

He downed it with a grimace. “Yuck.”

“Sorry. If I could make it taste better, I would.”

“It’s okay.” He grinned at her.

She made sure everyone else got a vial before heading back to the infirmary.

Soon, Tet and Kiba came in, the former back to his normal age.

“You were having too much fun with my predicament.” The wolf wagged a finger at her.

Andy chuckled, “All of you were so cute. I couldn’t help it.”

“Ryu looked kinda reluctant. He okay?” Tet asked.

“I think he’ll be alright,” Andy answered.

“Okay. Let’s go to our room.” The men linked arms with her.

She nodded and started to go to their room. 


	77. Chapter 77

The base’s alarms woke them, the men scrambling for their clothes.

Andy sat up, confused. “What’s happening?”

“Not sure. Nothing good.” Both of them gave her hurried kisses before running out of the room.

Andy got up and changed before exiting their room, looking around for any clue as to what was happening.

Sudden gunshots rang out from the direction of Tsukasa’s office. Andy went that direction, carefully keeping an eye out, preparing to attack if needed.

A man exited the office, holstering a pistol. He looked up as another man ran up and saluted.

“Sir! All combatants have been captured and restrained. The female necromancer is missing.”

Andy hid behind the corner, continuing to try to listen to what their plan was.

“Search from top to bottom. I’ll see if she cares or not about her team.” The men split into different directions and disappeared.

Andy snuck off, trying to find where the team was being held.

_ “Darlin? You safe?” _

_ “For now. They seem to be looking for me..” _

_ “I know. Get out of here before they find you.” _

_ “Who are they?” _

_ “Mercenaries for Darvestan, near as I can identify.” _

“ _ Where are you guys?” _

_ “Range. Don’t even think about it, darlin.” _

_ “I can’t just leave you guys.” _

_ “We don’t know why they want you alive, but it can’t be good. The longer they can’t get ahold of you, the better.” _

Andy continued to sneak around the base, looking for anyone she could easily take out. She dropped a couple with kill spells before continuing on. 

The P.A. system came to life. “To the female necromancer, give yourself up or I will kill one of your team every ten minutes until there are no more.”

Andy froze, unsure what to do.

“You doubt me?” The man spoke again. “To show you I am not bluffing.” A gun cocked, then fired. “One down.”

Andy slowly made her way toward the range, looking through a window to try to get a better idea of the situation. 

The team were sitting on the ground, their hands bound behind them and ringed by a dozen black suited men. The man she’d seen leaving Tsukasa’s office held the P.A. microphone in one hand while the other held a pistol. A red headed body lay at his feet.

Andy growled, saying a kill spell to take out a few of the black suited men.

Two went down, the rest looking around in concern.

“So you would rather they die than give yourself up? So be it.” The man nodded, two of the black suits heaving Yamae to his feet.

The porter appeared drugged, offering no resistance as the gun was placed to his temple.

Andy finally stepped out, “What do you want?”

The man smiled. “You.” He fired the pistol with a smile.

She let out a cry, averting her eyes, “What do you want with me?”

“Our employer wants you. All I know.” He nodded to the men to drop the body. “Bind her while I take care of them.”

“Let them go,” Andy growled. 

“So they can come after us? I think not.” He headed to Tet next, putting the pistol to his head.

Andy said a kill spell quickly, trying to stop him before he took the shot.

He shook his head. “I’m immune to your tricks.” He fired, moving to the next man as Tet fell. Several more of the team fell as the black suits bound her tightly.

She struggled against them, trying to get free to save her friends.

“Pacify her but don’t knock her out.” The leader instructed as he reloaded his pistol.

One of the men stuck her with a needle.

She began feeling weak and dizzy as she continued to try to fight. Tears streaked her face as she watched her friends go down.

Finally, only Ryusei and Shouma were left.

“Please.. Don’t,” Andy begged. 

He watched her for a moment, then put his gun in his holster as he stood above the two.

Andy looked at them, praying they’d stay safe.

In one swift motion, the man drew a large knife and slashed both of their throats. He held them up as the blood gushed out.

Andy sobbed, closing her eyes tightly.

“Now shall we go?” He wiped the knife on Ryusei’s shirt before replacing it in the sheath.

Suddenly he jerked as a hail of bullets slammed into him and the other men.

Andy opened her eyes, looking confused. 

“Sorry I was late.” Leo tore the bindings away from her wrists. He avoided looking at the carnage. “You okay?”

She nodded slowly, “Just drugged.”

“Let’s get you inside.” He began to lead her away toward the door. 

“I need to help them..”

“Can you do it in your condition?”

“I’ll try,” she answered, looking back at the dead team members. She went to the easier ones to heal first, working on them slowly. When they were healed, she pushed energy into them until they could breathe. She ordered Leo to take them to the infirmary before she continued to work on the others.

He grimaced as he watched her. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

She shook her head, just trying to focus on her job. She got to the last few, the ones who needed transfusions. She healed them up before having them taken to the infirmary where she set up everything. She then worked to revive them. When everyone finally was breathing, she sat down, unsure if her numbness was due to the medicine or from having to watch her team killed.

“Hey. You okay?” Leo looked at her.

She just nodded slowly in response.

He watched the team for a moment before frowning. “Where are Boss and Daiki?”

Andy sighed, “Probably dead in the office.” She pushed herself up and started down the hall.

Leo stopped her. “You should rest. I can get Jun to revive them later.”

Andy nodded slowly, turning to head to her room. 

Leo continued to the office, steeling himself before entering.

Andy knew she needed to rest but didn’t think she could. Going to the bathroom cabinet, she grabbed a syringe full of sedative and injected it into her arm before she went and collapsed on the bed. 

“You couldn’t have left him alive for me?” Tet’s voice was barely controlled.

Andy thought she heard a voice in the hall, her mind slowly coming back to life.

“Sorry.” Leo’s voice was apologetic. “In my defense, he  _ was _ about to kidnap your girlfriend. Figured I’d better put him down. Though I wish now I had aimed for his legs instead of center mass after seeing what he did.”

Andy pushed herself out of bed, still feeling a bit dizzy from the medicine and sedative. She exited the room, glancing over at Tet and Leo.

“Hey darlin.” Tet’s voice was quiet, Leo simply nodding at her before leaving.

Andy watched Tet for a few moments before finally saying, “Hi.”

He took several tentative steps toward her. “Do you want me to go?”

She shook her head quietly.

“Can I hold you?”

She nodded and stepped closer to him.

He gave her a small smile, then wrapped his arms around her. “I’m  _ so _ sorry, darlin. They overwhelmed us, then drugged us.”

“It’s not your fault. It happens.”

He sighed heavily, his lips meeting hers in a hard kiss.

She kissed him back then when he pulled away she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too, darlin. And I’m sorry as hell you saw all that.” He gave her another softer kiss. “Are you alright?”

“I’m not really sure..” she said quietly. 

He sighed and held her close. “Do you want to talk to Rhona when she comes back?”

“Maybe,” Andy answered. “I just wonder if we’ll ever see a time of peace or are we destined to keep dealing with tortures, kidnappings, and deaths?”

“You were talking about retirement. Maybe we should.”

“I don’t want to make you guys retire if you don’t want to. And will our problems even end then? We seem to have a lot of enemies now..”

“Yeah. I hate this. You were supposed to just be our doctor, not have a huge target on your back from a bunch of lunatics.”

Andy sighed, “Guess it’s just how my life was meant to go..”

Tet growled softly. “You should be living a peaceful life with a houseful of kids, not dodging mercenaries and wizards.”

Andy shrugged, “We can’t always have what we want. And taking care of the team is like having a houseful of kids.”

“We’re  _ not _ that bad..wait, I take that back. Boss is perpetually thirteen even without a witch’s curse.” Tet smirked.

Andy gave a small chuckle in response.

Another set of arms encircled her, a head laid on her shoulder.

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

“Physically I’m fine, thanks to you. Mentally...I’m sorry.” Kiba’s voice was soft and teary.

She sighed, “Don’t be sorry.”

“You saw us all executed! How can I not be sorry? And from what I heard from Ryu..”

“It’s not like it was your fault. You weren’t the one executing everyone.”

“We should have fought harder.” Tet said quietly.

Andy shrugged, “Well, I’m sure you guys did your best. And it’s not like we can change what happened.”

Both men sighed and nodded.

Tet broke the silence, his voice soft. “I want to warn you. Ryu has locked himself in his room and won’t talk.”

Andy took a deep breath, “Alright. I’ll go talk to him.”

“Maybe we should wait for Rhona?” Kiba let go of her, then moved around Tet to see her face. 

“I did fine helping the group before Rhona was here, you know.”

“You never saw all of us executed before. Are you sure you’re up to talk to him?”

She looked down, “Taking care of the team is what I do..”

Tet sighed, releasing her. “Alright. We’ll see you later, okay?”

She nodded slowly before heading to Ryusei’s room and knocking on the door.

There was no answer except a slip of paper sliding from under it.

She looked confused for a moment before looking closer at the paper.

_ Go away please _

Andy sighed, “Ryusei, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. But if you want time to yourself, I understand.” She turned away, trying to decide where she wanted to go.

The lock clicked, then a pair of arms locked onto her waist.

“Ryu? Are you okay?”

He shook his head, his face buried in her shirt.

Andy took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, raising a tear streaked face to her. “No, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have seen that. I’m ashamed.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I could have fought. Instead I sat there and let him kill me in front of you. I was prepared to be shot..but not what happened..and certainly not being forced to look at you as it happened.” His shoulders were shaking as he began to sob.

“It’s alright. I don’t blame you at all,” she looked down, “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I tried.. by giving myself up. I didn’t think they’d still kill you guys..”

“Help me..I keep seeing it when I close my eyes. I keep feeling the knife..”

Andy closed her eyes for a minute as she thought for a moment. She finally recited a spell, “That should help a little bit. I’m not sure what else to do for you..” she let out a small sob, “I feel like I’m useless sometimes. I couldn’t save you guys from what happened. I don’t know how to help you with the aftermath of it either.. maybe I should have waited for Rhona.. I’m not a psychiatrist..”

He climbed to his feet. “I don’t need a psychiatrist. I need a mom figure. No offense to Rhona, but she isn’t it. You are.” He gave her a small smile. “Can I ask a favor?”

She nodded, wiping at her eyes, “Of course.”

“Would you hold me? Just until I fall asleep?” He turned red with embarrassment. “I’m ridiculous being my age, aren’t I? You don’t have to. I shouldn’t have asked.” He turned to his door and started to enter.

“You aren’t ridiculous,” she gave him a small smile. “I’ll help you get to sleep.”

He gave a small chuckle, opening his door and allowing her into his room.

It was filled with band posters and gaming accessories, along with a small Buddhist altar. His bed had several pillows and a collection of small plushies. He blushed as he saw her face. “I know. It looks like a teenager’s room.”

She smiled softly, “I like it.”

He grinned as he moved the plushies off the bed. Climbing in, he sighed. “Sorry for being so much trouble.”

“You’re no trouble at all,” she sat down beside him and ran a hand through his hair. “I always imagined I’d have a kid by this age.. Never thought I’d have something like this, but I’m glad to have you, even if you aren’t really mine.” 

He gave her a sleepy smile, his eyes beginning to close. “I like having you as a mom. I feel safe with you.” He pointed to a small purple panther plushie. “I actually got that for you for mother’s day..but I chickened out.”

“That’s sweet,” she smiled down at him, continuing to rub his hair. She began to hum softly.

His breathing evened out, his body relaxing into her touch.

They stayed like that for quite a while until Andy decided to move. She snuck out, trying to be quiet and not wake him. She walked down the hallway slowly until she decided she was going to head to the forest. She started toward the exit, hoping to slither up into a tree for a while.

Tet watched in silence from the shadows but didn’t try to stop her.

Andy went into the forest, finding a hole in a tree to hide in. She stared numbly at the leaves and bark of the tree, trying to push visions of her friends dying out of her head. She stayed up there for hours, losing track of time completely.

“Andy?” Rhona called softly. “You want to talk?”

Andy slithered out of the hole and hung on a branch, “ _ What is there to talk about?” _

“Tet told me what happened. I can’t imagine how that has messed you up. But I’m here to listen, if you want to get anything off your chest.” She looked at her gently.

“ _ I don’t know what to say. I watched them die. It’s not like I haven’t seen them dead before.” _

“Maybe it’s the fact that you feel you could have stopped it if you were free? And it doesn’t matter how many times you see them dead, it’s still traumatic. And I’m getting the feeling that something more happened. Want to tell me?”

“ _ I tried to stop it by giving myself up,”  _ Andy admitted as she curled back around the branch, “ _ And most of them were shot but Ryu and Shouma had their throats slit.” _

Rhona winced sympathetically. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m going to have another patient too.” She looked at Andy. “You need some quiet time to deal with this. Why don’t you come to the hospital?”

Andy was quiet for a few moments before answering, “ _ What happens there?” _

Rhona smiled. “Therapy, just like this. I won’t force you to talk, or give you anything you don’t want. You don’t even have to come out of your room if you don’t want to. You can stay shifted too, if you want.”

_ “How long?” _

“However long you want. This isn’t like Kiba’s case. You can leave whenever you need or want to. This is just to give you a breather.”

The snake nodded slowly before slithering down out of the tree. She reverted but kept her eyes low. “Alright.”

“I’ll tell Boss while you get some clothes? Are you going to tell Tet and Kiba?”

Andy nodded, “Yeah, I’ll tell them.” She started back toward base quietly and headed to their room.

Both men were sitting on the bed. Tet watched her silently as Kiba asked “You going somewhere?”

“Rhona thinks I should spend a bit of time at the hospital..”

“Why?” Kiba’s voice was alarmed.

Tet laid a hand on the wolf’s arm to prevent him from moving toward her.

“She thinks I need a break and more therapy,” Andy sighed. “We’ll see how it goes. I might not stay long. I can leave whenever I want.”

Kiba scowled. “You believe her?”

“I don’t know..” Andy said quietly.

“Pay no attention to furball.” Tet finally spoke. “He doesn’t trust shrinks. He has yet to even speak to Rhona aside from general pleasantries. You do whatever you need to, darlin. We’ll be fine.”

Andy nodded slowly as she finished throwing her clothes in a bag. She looked down, “I love you guys. I’m sorry, but maybe I do need help.”

Tet moved to her. “No apologies needed and we love you too.” He lifted her chin and kissed her softly.

Andy glanced at Kiba, “Shrinks are doctors just like me, they just focus on the mind instead of the whole body. But I’m not asking you to trust them.” She gave a small smile. “Be careful. I’ll probably be back in just a few days.”

Tet gave her a smile, while Kiba just snorted. “We will. You be careful too, darlin.”

Andy nodded and headed into the hall. She scribbled a note on a piece of paper, slipping it under Ryusei’s door just to let him know where she was going if he needed her before meeting back up with Rhona.

“Ready?”

“I guess,” Andy sighed.

“Come on. Just don’t jump out of the car if you change your mind okay?”

Andy gave a small smile in response as she followed Rhona to the car.


	78. Chapter 78

A hesitant knock sounded at her door a few days later.

She went and opened it, looking into the hall.

Rhona gave her a shaky smile. “How are you feeling?”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “What’s wrong?”

The psychiatrist brushed the question aside, taking a deep breath. “Answer the question.”

“I don’t know. Okay, I guess.”

“That doesn’t sound like an endorsement of my methods.”

Andy sighed, “Sorry. Years of issues aren’t going to go away in a few days.”

“That’s true enough. Do you want to actually check in for a while?” Rhona raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Andy sighed. “I mean, I guess this is helping a bit, but I keep worrying about the others when I’m not there.”

Rhona tensed, her smile faltering. “Understandable.”

“I’m betting by the way you’re acting, something already did happen,” Andy shook her head.

The psychiatrist hung her head. “A few somethings actually.”

Andy opened the door, letting Rhona enter, “What happened?”

“Shots were taken at the guys during simple missions, nothing too worrisome. Today was different. Tet..” Rhona paused, searching for words that wouldn’t send Andy off the deep end.

Andy took a deep breath, “Is he alive?”

“Yes. And he didn’t want me to say anything.”

Andy nodded, “No matter what I do, things keep happening there. I wonder if I should head back..”

“Tet didn’t want to disturb you. Said you fixing your head was more important than him.”

Andy sighed, “How’s Ryu been?”

“According to everyone, practically back to normal. He started another prank war, got Tsukasa and is now his secretary. Much to Daiki’s delight.”

Andy gave a small smile. “How’s Akasa handling the infirmary?”

“Been mostly quiet. By the way, Ryu asked me to give this to you.” She pulled out the panther plushie.

Andy gave a soft smile, “Thanks.”

“If you want to go, I won’t stop you.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“I think you won’t get anywhere if you’re worried about him.”

“I’m  _ always _ worried about them,” Andy gave a faint smile.

“True. But this is a little different. He was hurt and you weren’t there, which is already on your mind. And don’t try to argue, I can see it in your eyes.”

Andy sighed, “I hate when any of them get hurt and I’m not there, but Tet and Kiba are worse.”

Rhona smiled. “Go see him. If you want to come back, my door’s open.”

Andy nodded and smirked, “I have ten years of trauma to talk about. I’d never leave your office.”

“Well, I  _ was  _ hired for you.” Rhona chuckled.

Andy went and grabbed her stuff, “I’ll see you later.” She vanished from the room, appearing in the infirmary.

Tet lay sleeping, Akasa stepping away from his bed.

The nurse frowned at her. “I owe Daiki money now.”

“Sorry,” Andy chuckled. “How is he?”

“Mostly healed. Still needs a little, but I figured rest wouldn’t hurt first.”

Andy nodded, sitting in the chair beside Tet. 

“He won’t be happy at Rhona. He wasn’t going to tell you anything.”

“She tried her best but I could tell something was wrong.”

Akasa snickered. “Did you trick her?”

“No.”

“Surprised. Anyway, feel free to heal if you want.”

Andy gave a small smile before pushing energy into Tet to heal up any damage left.

“Darlin..?”

“Hey.”

“Rhona can’t keep a secret, can she?” Tet struggled to sit up.

“She tried, if that helps.”

He gave her a chagrined look. “This was my own stupid fault. Didn’t pay attention to my surroundings and got ambushed.”

Andy sighed, “It happens sometimes, don’t feel too bad about it.”

He started to answer, then hesitated.

Andy squeezed his hand, “I missed you.”

He gave her a small smile. “I missed you too. What would it take for you to go into hiding?”

She raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“This was a warning..” He dropped his eyes.

Andy nodded, “I’m not hiding unless you and Kiba do too.”

“They don’t want us! They want you..and I won’t be the reason they get you.”

“But if they want me, they’re just going to keep hurting you guys until I give in.” She shook her head, “Who is even after me this time?”

“Section 38…” Tet sighed. “They want revenge.”

The door burst open to reveal a panicked Yuki. “Thank the gods you’re back.”

“What’s wrong?”

“My daughter...she disappeared on her way home from school.”

Andy took a deep breath, “Show me a picture.”

He produced a picture of a model-esque little girl. “Her name is Taryn. She’s like you.”

“Like me..? A necromancer?”

He nodded. “No one knows except for us.”

Andy took a deep breath, “Alright. I’ll find her.” She focused on the girl in the picture before vanishing.

“Who’s there?” The little girl was bound to a chair and blindfolded.

“I’m a friend of your parents. I’m here to get you free,” she went and undid the ties and blindfold.

The girl didn’t argue, rubbing her wrists. 

The door opened. “Knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away.” A man pointed a gun at the two of them.

“Leave her alone,” Andy answered.

“Oh I will, as long as you agree to come with us.”

Andy took a deep breath before nodding, “Alright.” She glanced at Taryn, “I’ll send you back to your dad, okay?” 

The girl nodded uncertainly.

Andy put a hand on Taryn’s arm, before saying a spell to send her to the base. She then turned back to the man.

“Let’s go. If you try anything, I will shoot you.”

She nodded and went over toward the door.

He pushed her out and into the backseat of a car. He got in beside her, nodding to the driver to pull onto the road.

Andy looked out the window, wondering what they had in store for her. She considered taking out the men in the car but she didn’t know who else was working with them and if they’d go back after Taryn or anyone else.

The man suddenly growled, his eyes fixed on the road outside.

Tet stood there, his face a mask of rage as he aimed his pistol at the driver.

“Run him down.”

The driver gave a chuckle, stepping on the gas. He slammed into Tet head on, laughing uproariously as the shifter flew over the car and landed in the street unmoving.

Tears filled Andy’s eyes and she tried to block out the image she just saw. After a few moments, she decided to risk it and said a kill spell to take out the men in the car. She tried to get to the steering wheel but wasn’t fast enough as the car veered into a building. 

When she came back to consciousness, she struggled to get out of the car. She was bleeding from a gash in her head as she made her way slowly to Tet. She pulled him into her arms, checking for a pulse.

It was weak and fading.

“S-s-sorry. I-I couldn’t let them…” He arched his back as blood trickled from his lips.

“It’s alright,” she said gently before trying to push energy into him.

He raised a shaky hand to her cheek before dropping it.

Tears streamed down her face, “Stay with me.” She recited healing spells as she pushed more energy into him, working on healing the injuries.

He didn’t answer, lying still in her arms. She continued pushing energy, unsure if she was feeling dizzy from the energy use or her own injuries. She didn’t care, only wanting to save him.

“Andy!” Akasa appeared beside her. His lips tightened as he saw Tet.

He put a hand to the shifter’s throat. “He’s gone.”

Andy pushed more energy into him, a purple and gold light surrounding him as she tried to revive him.

It faded away quickly, leaving Tet unrevived. The shifter’s body was rapidly growing cold in her arms.

Akasa tried to take him away from her, his eyes sad.

Andy tried again, refusing to let go of Tet.

“Andy, he’s gone. Let go.”

Tears streamed down her face, “No.. He can’t be..” She tried once again and she felt herself growing weaker by the second. “Maybe Jun can help..?”

Akasa sighed, reciting the teleport spell.

Andy tried to stand and put Tet in a bed, but she swayed.

“Rest, Andy.” Akasa pushed her onto a bed before taking Tet and putting him in another.

Andy struggled to stay awake, wanting to help Tet but she soon lost consciousness.

When she woke again, she shot up quickly, eyes rapidly searching the infirmary.

Akasa approached slowly. “How are you feeling?”

“Is he alive..?” Andy asked of Tet, ignoring the question about herself.

Akasa averted his eyes, avoiding answering.

She pushed herself up, planning to look for Tet and try once again to revive him.

Akasa pushed her back down. “There’s nothing that can be done. Jun already tried. Hell, Kei even used his potion and it didn’t work. You have to accept that Tet’s gone.”

She sat there with tears in her eyes, not saying anything.

Akasa released her. “I’m sorry.” He went into the office, slamming the door behind him.

The door opened, Taryn slowly peeking her head in.

Andy glanced up at her for a moment before looking back down at the bed.

“Are you alright?” The girl asked softly, her hands clenched.

“Not really,” Andy admitted. “How are you? Are you okay?”

Taryn nodded. “Your friend..he died permanently?”

“It seems like it,” Andy wiped at her eyes. 

The girl looked over to a covered bed in the far corner before approaching it. White light suddenly enveloped the body, lasting only a minute before fading.

The sheet began to move as if it were breathing, Taryn crumpling to the floor.

Andy quickly rushed over, uncovering Tet’s face for a moment before lifting the girl and placing her in a bed. She checked her vitals to make sure everything was alright.

Other than a massive energy depletion, the girl was fine.

Andy spent a moment or two pushing energy into her to help with the depletion before looking back over at Tet. 

He was blinking his eyes, confusion on his face.

She gave him a small smile, “Hey.”

“Hey. I was dead, wasn’t I?”

“You were.”

“It wasn’t like the other times. I was in a field and there was a house..I was walking, then I was back here. How?”

“Jun and I couldn’t revive you.. I don’t know why. But Taryn did.”

“Yuki’s  _ kid _ brought me back?!”

“She  _ is  _ a necromancer. I just don’t get why she could revive you but we couldn’t..”

“Was it the same way when you revived Arie?”

“No, I got to her before anyone else..” Andy was thoughtful.

“Is she alright?” Tet looked over worriedly.

“She’ll be fine, just needs to rest.”

He nodded, slowly sitting up as Yuki entered. 

The vampire’s eyes went wide as he saw Taryn in the bed. “Taryn!” He rushed to her side, his hand reaching for the girl’s.

“She’s going to be okay,” Andy informed quickly. “She used up a lot of energy, but other than that everything is normal.”

“What did she do?” Yuki raised his eyes to hers.

“Well, Tet was dead and neither Jun or I could revive him. She comes in asking if he’s dead permanently, so I tell her yes and before I know it, she’s over here reviving him..”

Yuki chuckled softly. “Just like she did her Uncle..”

Andy took a deep breath, “I’m sorry she got taken.. They were after me..”

Yuki shook his head. “Stop apologizing. They would have taken her if they had found out what she is.”

Andy nodded, “I was told most necromancers don’t make it to adulthood.. You might want to hide her away.”

“She’s staying with me. Ravenna thinks it’s safer. I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

“What is it?” Andy wondered.

“Would you train her? I mean, I could ask Jun if you say no. I just thought maybe she’d listen to you easier.” Yuki fidgeted as he spoke.

“I can try.. You know I’m not the most mentally stable person right now.. but if you still want to trust me with her, I’ll try.”

He chuckled. “Who _ is  _ stable right now? I mean, I can’t teach her, so thank you.”

Andy nodded, “You’re welcome.”

“How did you get away from them, darlin?” Tet asked quietly.

“I said a kill spell... Then the car crashed into a building.”

Tet winced. “Are you alright?”

“Seems like Akasa healed me up while I was sleeping,” she answered.

“How are we going to deal with this new threat?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I’ll find a way to take them out like always..”

“We’ll just have to have our heads on a swivel when we go out.” Tsukasa said as he entered. “Good to see you two up.”

Andy nodded quietly.

“Speaking of going out, Yuki, you’re going for a classified pickup. Ryu will port you to and from the address. Move it.”

Yuki gave Taryn a kiss, then headed out the door.

Tsukasa glanced at the girl. “She sick?”

“She used a lot of energy reviving Tet.”

His eyes widened. “Interesting.”

“Yeah,” she looked over at the girl.

Taryn blinked hazy green eyes open. She looked over and saw Tet, a grin spreading over her face.

“Thank you for reviving him,” Andy said softly.

“You looked so sad. Like Mom when Uncle Terui died.” She tried to sit up unsuccessfully.

“You’re going to need to rest for a while longer,” Andy informed. “I’m Andy, by the way. Nice to actually meet you.”

“You’re not scared of me?” The girl gave her a look of surprise.

“Of course not,” Andy answered. “Why would I be?”

“Everyone else is. That’s why Mom sent me here. I got expelled again for scaring my class.”

“Listen, I’m a necromancer, a witch, a vampire, a shifter, and a zombie. It takes a lot to scare me.”

“You’re like me?” Her eyes lit up. “I’m not alone?”

“Of course you’re not alone. And I can guarantee you won’t scare anyone else here either, unless they’re scared of children.”

“I love children..roast them just right and they’re delicious.” Tsukasa teased, blowing smoke at Taryn playfully.

Andy rolled her eyes at him as she chuckled.

“We haven’t had any in a while, better watch out.” Tet joined in with a laugh.

Andy playfully smacked his arm before looking at Taryn, “Don’t listen to them. They’re crazy.” 

Taryn grinned. “My room is kind of bare. I need a rug for my floor. And I’ve never tried dragon meat, is it tough?”

Andy chuckled again. “I don’t know. We’ll have to try it.” She turned to Tsukasa with a smirk.

He raised his hands, moving backwards. “Only thing that scares me is you.”

“Is that why I’m the  _ real  _ boss around here?” She stuck her tongue out at him.

He nodded silently as his back hit the wall.

She laughed, “Well, good thing I’m on your side, right?”

“Absolutely, darlin.” Tet had finally regained his voice after Taryn’s crack.

Andy smiled at him, “Now, let Taryn rest some more. I have to tell Akasa you aren’t dead.”

He gave her a look. “Where is Kaa, anyway?”

“Office, last I saw.”

“He okay?”

“I don’t know..” Andy sighed and headed to the office door. She knocked before opening it.

“Yes?” He didn’t look up from the book he was reading.

“Taryn revived Tet..”

Akasa dropped the book. “ _ What _ ?!”

“Yeah. I don’t know why she could when we couldn’t, but she did it.”

“Wow..” He looked at her. “You must be happy.”

“More surprised, really. But I am happy that he’s alive.”

The nurse nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling a bottle of pills out. He took two, then replaced it before looking at her. “Something else?”

“You okay?”

“I wish.” He shook his head. “Nothing important.”

“Come on, talk to me.”

“While you were gone.. When the base got attacked. I was hurt pretty bad and when you revived me, I guess it didn’t heal all the way. But don’t worry about it. I’m dealing with it.”

“Tomorrow morning, be in the infirmary early. We’ll run some scans and see what’s going on and I’ll see what I can do to fix it.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know. I want to.”

He gave a small chuckle. “I should know better.”

She smiled, “I’ll let you get back to reading for now.”

“I’m done. Anything happening?”

“Taryn’s resting right now, but that’s about it.”

He nodded. “Why don’t you get some rest?”

She sighed and nodded, heading out of the office.

Hours later, there was a hesitant knock at her door accompanied by soft sniffles.

Andy got up and went to the door, opening it and looking out.

Taryn stood there, her eyes red and puffy.

Andy crouched down, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“My dad..he got hurt bad..”

“Is he in the infirmary?”

The girl nodded. “Akasa and Jun were trying to help him..”

“Alright,” Andy sighed, “I think he’s going to be alright. They’re really good at helping people, and if they can’t, I’ll go help him, okay? Do you want a hug?”

“They sounded really worried.” Taryn nodded. “I miss my mom.”

“I’m sorry, honey. But you’re strong, and I know you’ll get through this.” She wrapped her arms around Taryn and held her for a few moments. “I’m going to go help them care for your dad. Do you want to come with, so you aren’t alone?”

The girl nodded again. 

“Come on,” Andy held her hand out to Taryn as she stood. They walked to the infirmary before Andy set Taryn up on a bed to stay out of the way, “Just sit here. Everything will be alright. I’m going to check on him now, okay?”

“Okay.”

Andy went over to where they were working on Yuki, “What’s the situation?”

“According to Ryu, the pickup went fine. They were about to port back when suddenly they were surrounded. Yuki was grabbed and beaten with bats and bricks. Ryu suffered some damage before getting them away, but nothing too bad.” Akasa held a bandage to a gash in Yuki’s scalp.

“I tried not to frighten Taryn, but I had to revive him.” Jun was pushing his light over the vampire. “He’s bad, even with our abilities. At least half his bones were broken, including his skull. He’s got so many internal injuries it’s not funny.”

Andy nodded, she began pushing her energy in as well as she started muttering healing spells. After a few hours, Andy ordered them to scan him over again to see what was still needing work. She went to check on Taryn, “Hey. How are you doing?”

“Is he going to die?”

“No, honey. He’s getting better. He was hurt pretty bad, but we’re working on helping him.” 

Taryn nodded, her eyes locked on her father.

“Not only do we have magic to help us, but I’m a doctor and Akasa is a nurse, so we know what we’re doing when it comes to helping injuries. He might be sore for a while, but I’m hoping in another little bit he’ll be healed up.”

“Why did they do that to him? He’s so nice to everyone.”

“Unfortunately there’s a lot of bad people in the world. They don’t care if someone is nice, they just care about their own evil deeds, and sometimes that involves hurting people. It isn’t fair or nice, but it is a part of life. Most people, like your mom, don’t have to deal with bad people as much. But your dad is military and a vampire, so it’s his job to deal with the bad people.”

Taryn looked sad. “Poor daddy.”

Andy nodded, “Try not to worry. I’m going to go back to helping him, alright?”

The girl curled up on the bed. “Okay.”

Andy looked thoughtful for a moment, “Do you like stuffed animals?”

Taryn’s eyes lit up.

Andy went over and grabbed the panther plush, “My friend gave this to me. I think you need him more right now though, so why don’t you keep him safe for me?”

Taryn cuddled the panther. “It’s so cute.”

Andy smiled, “Isn’t it?” She looked over and noticed them finishing up the scans. After going and looking at them, she went back to pouring energy into Yuki.

Akasa and Jun sat down, exhaustion evident in their faces. The nurse watched Andy for a moment before speaking softly. “You think you can fix the brain trauma?”

“I’m going to do my best,” Andy answered, staring down at Yuki and reciting healing spells. After another couple hours, she said some spells to help the swelling in his brain go down before sitting beside him. 

Taryn was curled up asleep, her arms around the panther.

Andy smiled softly as she looked over at her. She went and covered her with a blanket before sitting back by Yuki.

Ryusei entered, his eyes worried. One arm was in a sling, and one eye was covered by an eyepatch. “Is he-?”

“He’s alive. We have to see how he is when he wakes.”

The porter gave a sigh of relief, sitting beside her. “I feel so guilty..”

“It wasn’t your fault and you tried your best to help him.”

“I should have sensed them. But I didn’t.” Ryusei growled, before pulling off the sling and eyepatch. “I’m going to find them.”

Andy put a hand on his arm, “ Not right now. If you go while angry and upset you’re going to get hurt worse.”

He snarled. “I  _ should _ be hurt as bad as he was. I was  _ supposed _ to protect him! What good am I, if I can’t port one man back to his daughter safely?” He squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of pain washed over him and he clutched his arm close to his chest.

“You can’t do everything, Ryu. It’s alright.” She said a few healing spells before pouring energy into him.

He panted as the pain began to recede, trying to stay conscious.

“Let's get you into a bed.”

He swayed, forcing himself to move to an empty bed.

She helped him in before continuing to work on healing him. “Just rest, hun.”

He finally passed out, relaxing into the mattress.

Andy worked on him a bit longer before sitting back in a chair. She curled up, dozing off a bit. When she woke, she checked on Yuki.

He was blinking his eyes open in astonishment. “I was sure I was a dead vampire.”

“You had been, but we spent a lot of time working on you.”

“Tell me Taryn didn’t see me..”

“She did,” Andy sighed. “But I did my best to assure her you’d be alright.”

He closed his eyes briefly. “Is Ryu alright?”

“Physically, yes. He feels guilty you got hurt so bad, though.”

“It wasn’t his fault.” The vampire pushed himself to sit up.

“I know. But he feels bad anyway.”

“He always does.” He looked over at Taryn, his eyes going soft.

“How are you feeling? Everything alright?” She asked. “Just want to make sure everything got healed up right.”

“Mild headache. Nothing like what I expected if I woke up.” Yuki gave her a smile.

“Good,” she smiled.

Kiba entered the room limping.

“What happened?” Andy asked quickly.

“Went for a jog. Some idiot didn’t put up warnings of road work and I fell into a hole. Twisted my ankle pretty good, I think.”

Andy sighed, “Let’s get some scans, then I’ll heal you up.”

The wolf nodded, hopping onto a bed with a wince.

She scanned him and then did a few healing spells before kissing his cheek, “How’s that feel?”

“Much better. If I ever catch the idiot,  _ he’s  _ gonna need healing. What kind of moron digs a giant hole, then leaves it open with no warning signs?”

Andy shook her head and shrugged.

“You’d think they would be told there are power lines nearby.” Kiba hopped off the table, giving her a kiss. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Andy glanced at the time with a sigh, heading to the kitchen to start cooking. She brought some food to the infirmary, giving Yuki a tray before gently waking Taryn.

“Dad?”

“He’s alright and awake if you want to see him.” 

She sat up, a smile spreading over her face as she caught sight of Yuki eating. She flew off the bed, embracing the vampire tightly as he laughed.

Andy smiled as she watched them.

Ryusei stirred, his good eye opening slowly. He winced, rubbing his damaged eye gently.

“Hey, hun. How are you feeling?”

“Better. How’s Yuki?”

“Good.”

He nodded. “Sorry about losing it earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He sat up slowly. “You have my eyepatch?”

“If you wanna look like a pirate,” she chuckled.

“No offense to Kei, but not really. Just my eye kinda hurts.”

“Let me take care of it,” she said some healing spells as she pushed energy into him.

He sighed as the pain disappeared. “Thanks. You would think I could duck faster.”

Andy gave him a small smile. “I brought some food, are you hungry?”

He grinned. “Always.”

She took a tray over to him with a chuckle.

He grabbed her wrist with a frown. “It’s ninety degrees. Why the long sleeves?” His face darkened.

She looked down quietly.

He took a deep breath. “Why?”

She shook her head, “I just can’t take everything.. I’m sorry..” tears filled her eyes. 

“Remember what I told you? You have to talk to us. Maybe you should have stayed with Rhona..”

She hung her head, “I hate it there.. All I do is worry about you guys while I’m gone.”

He sighed. “All we do is cause you problems.”

“No, it’s not your guys’ fault. It’s all the bad guys we have to deal with,” she wiped at her eyes, “Do you think I should go back with Rhona?”

“The bad guys  _ are _ our fault. And you can’t even try to work through everything because of us making you worry. It’s your decision, is she helping at  _ all _ ?”

“I don’t know, maybe a bit.”

He bit his lip. “Maybe you need a vacation from all of us. Get away from everything associated with us so you can try to deal with everything.”

“Maybe..” she looked down again, “Are you mad at me?”

He shook his head. “Mad at myself for not being able to help.”

“It’s not your fault,” Andy said quickly before sighing, “Maybe I’m just too screwed up to fix..”

“If you can’t be fixed, what does that mean for the rest of us?”

“I don’t think you guys are that screwed up,” Andy gave him a look. “And I guess I just have to keep trying..”

“You’re talking to the guy who saw his parents murdered, lived on the street for months and then was a guinea pig for insane scientists. And we won’t even talk about your boyfriends.”

“How do you guys keep living? It feels so hard sometimes, or everything just goes so numb..”

“I jumped off a bridge because everything became too much. I was cutting, using way too many sleeping pills to fight my night terrors. It wasn’t until you came that I had a restful full night’s sleep.”

“Guess you don’t have the answers either,” Andy shook her head, “I know you guys care but it’s still so hard..”

Ryusei gave her a sad smile. “I know. Which is why I suggested a vacation from us.”

Andy took a deep breath, “I’ll think about it.” 

Kei came in, looking around. “Has anyone seen Ryon?”

“No,” Andy shook her head.

“Dammit.” The earthwitch cursed.

“Why? What’s up?”

“He went out for a run after Kiba came back. He’s been gone for a while and he’s not answering his phone.”

“Maybe he fell in the hole Kiba mentioned..” Andy looked thoughtful. “Ask Kiba where it was and check around there? It did sound kind of suspicious.”

Kei nodded and left.

Twenty minutes later, Kei and Kiba burst in, cradling a badly bleeding Ryon.

Andy took a deep breath and went to him, beginning to look him over and mutter healing spells.

“Found him in that hole with a knife wound big enough to put my hand through.” Kiba reported angrily. “Something is definitely wrong.”

“Alright. When I’m done with him we’ll go check it out.”

Kiba nodded, opening his mouth to reply when the lights suddenly went out.

Andy took a deep breath, listening for any sounds of attacks.

There were a few shocked cries, then the emergency lights came on.

There were two men finishing binding an unconscious Taryn, Kiba lying on the ground beside the bed. Ryusei lay sprawled on the bed as did Yuki. Kei was missing.

Andy quickly said a kill spell, dropping the men to the ground.

The office door opened, Kei and Akasa being pushed out before another man appeared behind them. Both wore ticking vests and the man grinned. “If my finger comes off this trigger, everyone goes boom. I’ll be taking both them and the girl, unless you want to kill everyone here?”

Andy growled, unsure what to do. 

The man laughed, going over and swinging Taryn over his shoulder. “Smart girl.” He looked at the two men. “Move.”

Andy tried to think of a spell to help. When she couldn’t, she started mumbling a spell she was writing in her head. She was trying to come up with a spell to defuse the bomb with magic. She prayed it worked as she finished the words. She then muttered a kill spell toward the man before throwing up a barrier around Kei and Akasa just in case her spell didn’t work.

Kei’s bomb stopped, but Akasa’s didn’t. The timer hit zero and he stiffened, sinking to his knees as he began to convulse.

Andy moved the barrier to around just herself and Akasa, just in case it did something else. She took the vest off of him before scanning him over to see what was going on.

“It wouldn’t have exploded.” The nurse spoke between clenched teeth. “It had a poisoned needle.” His eyes started to unfocus. “It’s alright though..”

Andy cursed, going to take a blood sample and run it through some tests. She quickly formulated an antidote and injected it into his arm.

“You shouldn’t try so hard to save an already dying man..” Akasa gave her a gentle look.

“You know I’m not going to let you die, no matter what the reason.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I lied to you.”

Andy took a deep breath, “Wouldn’t be the first time..”

He chuckled painfully. “True. But I’m still sorry..I wasn’t going to meet you.”

“Why are you dying?”

“Remember I once told you Boss pulled me out of Branch when I was little? And that my illness was never seen in cobras?”

“Yeah?”

“It wasn’t what I thought it was. It is actually a disease that kills by destroying both the body and brain slowly. It had slowed due to the seal, but my repeated deaths seem to have made it fail. I have only a matter of days left. Jun has already tried to heal me with no success.”

“There has to be something we can do..”

“There is. Kill me now, before I’m in agony.”

Andy closed her eyes for a moment, trying to think of any ideas. Finally, she opened her eyes and gave him a small smile. “I know what to do. Just rest.” She picked him up and moved him to a bed before going to the lab to gather supplies. She went back out to the infirmary and set up a circle of herbs, smearing blood in the center. She then recited the spell, a body slowly forming in the center of the circle. She went to Akasa and sighed, “I have to kill you to summon your soul.”

He cocked an eyebrow, but nodded. “Better than dying slowly.”

“Any particular way you want me to do this?”

“Something quick and painless?”

“Large amount of sedatives would be painless and like falling asleep?”

He gave her a soft smile. “Sounds good.”

Andy went and prepared a syringe and injected him. “I’ll see you soon. You’re going to be alive again with no pain.”

He gave her another smile as his eyes closed.

She waited until his pulse faded away to focus on Akasa, saying a spell to bring him back as a ghost. 

A few moments later, his shimmery figure appeared.

“Get in the circle.”

The ghost followed instructions, waiting patiently.

Andy muttered a final spell, the ghost disappearing into the body.

Akasa’s eyes blinked open. “Well, that was interesting.”

She smiled and held a hand out to help him up, “What do you want to do with your old body? We can go bury it or cremate it?” She chuckled, “Sorry, I know that sounds weird.”

He shook his head. “I already have a grave in the forest. Just toss it back in.”

Andy nodded, going to the dead body and teleporting it to the forest. When she was done, she went back to the infirmary and checked on everyone else. 

They were beginning to stir, except for Kiba. The wolf hadn’t moved the entire time Andy had been dealing with Akasa.

Andy knelt down and checked for a pulse.

Silence met her fingers.

Andy pushed energy into him, praying he’d revive quickly.

He gave a sharp breath, then began convulsing.

Andy cursed, checking his blood for poison.

A larger concentration than in Akasa met her eyes.

She adjusted the formula for the antidote and made it, injecting it into him quickly.

He calmed, sagging into her arms as Taryn awakened with a frightened cry.

Andy moved Kiba into a bed before going to Taryn, “Hey, honey. Everything is alright. The bad guys are gone for now.”

The girl clung to her, sobbing in fright.

“It’s okay,” Andy ran a hand through her hair as she held her tight.

The girl slowly went quiet, her breathing evening into sleep.

Andy tucked her into a bed, making sure she had enough blankets. 

“She okay?” Yuki approached them slowly.

“I think she will be. She was just scared and cried herself out.”

“Alright.” The vampire sighed. “I was hoping she’d be safe here. Guess I was wrong.”

“At least here we have all of us to protect her.”

He nodded as Tsukasa entered. “What the  _ hell _ just happened?”

“Some guys showed up wanting to take Taryn. I killed them.”

“Great. Is she alright?”

“Yeah, she’s okay.”

“Stay alert. There are a few teams out right now.”

Andy nodded, sitting down and watching everyone.

Shortly thereafter, the dragon reentered. His face was pale and his hands shook.

“What’s wrong?”

“Yoshi and Rei’s assignment went sideways…”

“What happened?”

“Someone booby trapped their car with Hellfire charges.”

“Shit,” Andy said quietly. “If I can summon their souls, I can make new bodies.. but I don’t know what Hellfire does to souls..”

Jun entered in time to hear her statement. “It destroys them.”

Tears filled her eyes as she tried to focus on calling Rei and Yoshi to her. Nothing happened and she let out a small sob.

Jun wrapped his arms around her. “Let it out.”

She clung to him for a few minutes, crying hard. She finally released him quietly before wiping her eyes.

Tsukasa’s voice was soft. “Should we do a memorial? Or just announce it?”

“A memorial would be nice,” Andy said, barely above a whisper. 

He nodded sadly before exiting.


	79. Chapter 79

Andy moved to a chair, staring blankly at the floor.

Ten minutes later, Tsukasa’s voice came over the P.A. system. “I have the sad job to report the deaths of four of our comrades. There will be a memorial service in a few days. That is all.”

Andy continued to stare blankly, not reacting to the voice.

Jun winced, crouching to eye level. “Andy? Are you with me?”

Andy’s eyes moved up to where he was, but they were unfocused and distant.

He sighed, dialing Rhona’s number. After a quick conversation, he hung up the phone.

An hour later, Rhona came in slowly, kneeling at Andy’s side. “Hey.”

Andy turned to her but stayed quiet.

“Why don’t you come with me?”

Andy stood slowly, not actually answering Rhona.

The psychiatrist nodded to Jun, then led Andy out to the waiting car.

Andy got in, looking out the window.

Rhona sighed, getting in beside her and nodding to the driver to start the car.

Andy was quiet the whole time, keeping her eyes focused outside the car.

When they arrived, Rhona got Andy settled, then went to her office sadly.

Andy just stared at the wall, her mind blank. She had no idea how long she was there, and she didn’t really care. She felt empty and numb to the point she just didn’t feel anything. 

Rhona sighed as she exited Andy’s room the next morning. The psychiatrist felt helpless. Andy was almost catatonic and she had no idea if the healer would ever recover.

Days passed, Andy barely touched the food brought to her. She mostly just kept staring at the walls with no sign of change.

One day, Rhona entered slowly. “Good morning, Andy. Do you mind if I sit down?”

Andy looked at her a moment then shook her head once.

The psychiatrist smiled, sitting down in a nearby chair. Once seated, her expression changed to uncertainty.

Andy glanced at her a moment before looking down at the blanket.

“I debated whether to say anything, but decided you have a right to know. Tet and Kiba have disappeared.”

Andy’s eyes shot up quickly but she still didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry.” Rhona stood and headed for the door.

Andy silently stood, focusing on Tet and Kiba before vanishing.

They hung limp from chains attached to their wrists. They were battered and bruised, Tet’s back almost flayed from a whip. Neither made a sound as she appeared.

Andy worked on undoing the chains before teleporting them to the infirmary. She quietly pushed energy into them, working to heal up their injuries.

Hiiro and Akasa exited the office in shock.

Andy didn’t address them, just continued to work.

They didn’t press the issue, merely aided her as needed.

When the two men were healed, Andy sat down beside them.

The witch and medic returned to the office silently.

Ten minutes later, Kiba opened his eyes in surprise. Then he saw Andy. His face fell as he began to sob.

She gently squeezed his hand. She finally whispered out a “sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s our fault.”

She shook her head and squeezed his hand again. “Love you.”

“Love you too. I..”

He was interrupted as Tet gave a cry and launched himself at Andy.

Andy hugged him tightly, not saying anything.

“The bastards tricked us, darlin.” 

She pulled away and gave a confused look.

“Our boys aren’t dead.”

Andy’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“They’re alive, but under some kind of spell. All four of them are like robots.”

Andy frowned, “ Where?”

“Where you found us, unless they’ve been moved. They’re the ones who tortured us.”

Andy nodded, standing and preparing to teleport to them.

“Darlin, be careful. Please come back safely.”

Andy nodded before vanishing. 

All four missing squad members were there when she reappeared. Their eyes were blank as they approached, armed with knives.

Andy recited a few different spells that she knew were good for releasing control over people.

They dropped to the floor, eyes closing as another man entered. His lips were reciting a kill spell.

Andy threw her hand out quickly, lightning shooting out at the man.

He hissed, throwing up a barrier too slow. He screamed as the lightning zapped him, then disintegrated into ashes.

Andy went to her friends, putting a hand on Rei’s shoulder as she tried to check him over.

“Andy? Where am I?” Rei squinted at her with a wince.

“You were kidnapped,” she said quietly. She focused on the group and teleported them to the infirmary. She checked everyone over, quietly healing up any injuries.

Tet gave her a broad smile, then moved to her side. “They okay or are they gonna go Terminator on us?”

“Should be okay.”

He gave a relieved sigh, then wrapped his arms around her. “How are you doing? We were worried.”

She nodded slowly, “Not sure. Sorry.”

He kissed her head, holding her close. “I wish I knew how to help you, darlin. Sometimes I feel this is all my fault.”

“Not your fault.”

“You sure? I brought you into this world.”

“Promise.”

He sighed, finally releasing her. “If you need some time, take it. We’ll be fine.”

“Should.. should I go back to the hospital?”

“Your choice. You can go there, or home, or somewhere else completely. You need time away from us.”

She sighed and looked down, “I guess..”

“Darlin, I love you. Kiba loves you. Hell, I think everyone does. But we’re a huge burden to you. I watched you break when you heard about the twins. Everything came crashing down, and here you are. Saving us again when you haven’t picked up the pieces yet. You can’t go on like you have. You’ve had so many shocks lately, you need to get away and process it all.”

Andy nodded, “Alright.. How will I know you’ll be okay while I’m gone?”

“I’ll text you once a day. I swear it. But otherwise, we won’t call or show up.”

Andy had tears in her eyes, “I know it’s what I need but I don’t want to leave..”

“I know. I don’t want it either. But you need it before you burn out and either go insane or start resenting us.” He kissed her hard, then backed away.

Andy took a deep breath, “You better text. If I don’t get one I’m rushing back.” 

He grinned. “If I don’t, Kiba will. But I know you’ll stay glued to the phone.”

“I’m going to go grab a few things, then I’ll head out..”

He nodded, then left the infirmary.

Andy went and grabbed a bag of clothes and headed out to her car. She started driving, not sure where she was going. 

The next few weeks she sent pictures of where she was to Tet and Kiba. Different mountains, sightseeing locations, beaches, and more. Eventually she found herself back in her home state. She debated whether or not to go back to the base, but finally she headed that way, going down familiar roads. A couple hours later, she pulled up in front of the base, hoping that everyone was alright.

A skinny figure emerged from the gatehouse and approached her car.

Andy looked over for a moment, “Hey.”

“You’re back? Or did you forget something?”

“I’ve been gone for about a month, is it bad to be back?”

Ryusei shook his head. “Just surprised. Expected longer after what happened.”

“I’ve had a bit of time to heal,” she answered. “Maybe not perfect but I’m not on the verge of a breakdown anymore.” 

“That makes me happy.” He lifted the barrier. “Go see your idiots.”

Andy chuckled, “I’ve missed you, Ryu.”

“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” He coughed as he waved her through.

She frowned for a moment at his cough but decided to focus on it later. She headed in and parked, climbing out of her car and starting toward the building. She entered the front door and looked around.

“Andy?” Daiki looked up as he walked out of Tsukasa’s office. “How are you?”

“Alright. Better than I had been, at least.”

He gave her a smile. “Good to hear.” He paused, then spoke again. “I hate to do this when you’ve just returned, but I need your help.”

“What’s up?”

“Tsukasa is having his own breakdown. Our finances are in jeopardy.”

Andy nodded and headed into Tsukasa’s office.

Smoke almost blinded her and she could hear his strained breathing as he spoke. “Dai?”

“Andy.”

The smoke began to dissipate, revealing the dragon in his usual place behind his desk. His face was wan, dark circles under his eyes. He gave a series of coughs, then attempted a smile. “Didn’t know you were back. How was your vacation?”

“Just got back. It was nice. How’s it been here?”

“Quiet actually. Just paperwork squabbles trying to convince the beancounters we are justified to exist still.” He coughed again, drinking from his coffee cup to clear his throat.

“Are you okay?”

“Just a cough that won’t go away. Probably caused by stress. I’m guessing Daiki sent you in here to calm me down?” 

Andy chuckled, “Is it working?”

“Not surprising. You calm down everyone. Usually anyway.”

“Any way I can help with the paperwork?” 

“Doubt it. The idiots holding the moneybags are digging in their heels. We are a weight around their necks. We do more, complain less and they know it. But we also cost a lot because they have to pay the Council.”

“I can start supplying more of the medical supplies from the clinic and try to cut down on our food budget,” Andy looked thoughtful.

“It’s more they are tired of paying the Council for our use. They think they could spend the money better for a squad that doesn’t need approval of a third party to operate.”

“We know who runs the Council.. Can’t we just have them charge less?”

“Possibly. Let me explain better. When we were put together, our communities almost rioted because we were being mixed for the first time. The communities demanded a certain price to convince them to allow the squad. The Council merely collects the amount the communities demanded and distributes it. They don’t set it.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt for the Council to ask the communities to re-evaluate their demands, right?”

He nodded thoughtfully before coughing again. He winced before answering. “No, it wouldn’t. I’ll call Leo and discuss it.”

“Alright. In a bit I’m going to check you over for that cough. Ryu was coughing a bit too, so I’m wondering if something is going around?”

His eyes narrowed. “He’s coughing? Damn. Another thing to worry about.”

“Just let me take care of it,” Andy gave him a small smile before heading toward the door.

He chuckled. “You probably will need to wake me up. Pretty tired. Gonna take a nap on the couch.”

“Alright, you look like you need it.”

He nodded, slowly making his way to said couch, laying down with a sigh of relief and closing his eyes.

Andy left the office and headed out into the hall. She started toward her room, wondering if the guys were there.

She could hear coughing behind the door.

Andy sighed and opened it before going in.

Kiba lay in bed, Tet applying a cold compress to his forehead.

The tiger turned, then gave her a broad smile. “Hey darlin. When did you get back?”

“Just a little bit ago.” She answered before going over and looking Kiba over. “Apparently something  _ is _ going around.. I’m going to get a small blood sample and make sure it’s just a normal virus.”

Tet sighed. “Started last night. Thought he was the only one since he’s been keeping to himself since you left. But others are showing symptoms too?”

“Yeah,” Andy nodded. “That’s why I want to double check it’s nothing more serious.” She went to the cabinet and grabbed supplies before taking a small sample of blood from Kiba. She kissed the wolf’s cheek before heading to go to the infirmary.

Tet followed her, his arm wrapping around her waist as he kissed her gently. “Missed the hell out of you, darlin.”

“I missed you too.” 

“Have fun?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad.”

He opened the infirmary door and followed her in, sitting on a stool to wait.

Andy went to the microscope and set it up, looking at the blood sample. She then ran it through the computer to double check the results.

Tet frowned as he watched her. “There a problem?”

“This isn’t a normal virus. It’s an airborne virus which is synthetic..” She sighed and shook her head and began to work on a medicine to fight it.”

“What?!” Tet began to stand, then crumpled to the floor.

Andy took a moment to lift him and set him in a bed before continuing to make the medicine. An hour later it was finished and she formulated a bunch of syringes full to give to the shifters it was affecting. She injected Tet before going to give it to the rest of the team.

Kiba was unconscious, his temperature dangerously high.

She put a fresh compress on him after injecting the medicine.

There was a shaky knock at the door.

She went to the door and opened it.

Ryusei collapsed into her arms, his skin as hot as an oven. He was shaking, his eyes glassy. “A-Andy, I don’t feel good.”

“I know, hun. I got some medicine for you though.” She injected him before lifting him and carrying him to a bed in the infirmary. She then went to check on Tsukasa.

He was still on the sofa, but was fighting to breathe. His face was flushed with fever.

She injected him with medicine before getting a cold compress for his head.

She then went to find the other shifters.

Most of them were in the rooms, a few in the kitchen. All were either coughing or collapsed with high fevers and shaking. The phoenixes were gasping for air.

She injected them all before getting them compresses then headed to the infirmary to check on Tet.

Tet was still unconscious, but his vitals were strong.

Andy relaxed a bit, glad the medicine was working. She went to their room and checked on Kiba.

He blinked his eyes open and smiled as he saw her. “Hi.”

“Hey,” she smiled softly. “Good to see you feeling better.”

“What happened?”

“Somehow a virus got into the air here that affects shifters.. I’m betting it was intentional.”

“We’ve been here the whole time you were gone. Only thing that happened was the AC went out and we had to have it repaired.”

Andy’s eyes narrowed, “Betting the repair people put it in the vents.”

Kiba pushed himself up. “How bad is it actually? Just illness to keep us out of action or worse?”

“Well, with how bad the fever got with everyone and several were struggling to breathe, I would guess worse. Akasa might have noticed it but it’s a good thing I noticed when I did.”

He nodded, then yawned. “Wonder who came after us this time.”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “Just rest for now and don’t worry about it,” she kissed him lightly.

“You’re not worried about catching it?”

“If I start having symptoms I’ll take some medicine,” she shrugged.

He settled back down, eyes beginning to close. “Don’t you dare die. And don’t let anyone else either.”

“Alright. I think everyone else will be fine now.” She smiled softly.

He gave her a smile as he fell asleep.


End file.
